Thunder's Story
by Wolfstorm7
Summary: He never knew he was destined to be ThunderClan's first leader... The story of Thunder's life; before and after he was Thunderstar. Warriors historical fiction. -Discontinued-
1. Enter Thunder

OK, this is my first story. I'm really nervous about putting this up, because though I like to write stories, I hate to let people read them. I get so embarrassed; it's like someone reading my diary or seeing my dreams. But my friends told me I should share my writings, so here it goes: Hope you enjoy it!

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Thunder pressed close against his mother's golden fur. "Wing? When will we be there?"

His mother sighed loudly. Then she looked startled, and her eyes then darted back and forth, like she was afraid someone had heard the small sound. She meowed in a hushed voice.

"Shush! In a little bit! The place should be around here somewhere, but if we are loud, bad cats will come. If they catch us, they will _eat_ us!" She flicked little Thunder's back with her tail to show that she was joking. He shivered anyway.

He remembered how his father had died; trying to protect his mate and kits from an angry, crazy rouge. It had only been two moons ago. Frost, his father, hadn't completely succeeded, and Thunder's third sister, Light, had been carried away by the rouge as payback. His father had driven the rouge out of his den, a very large one. Frost had asked if come in, since his mate was about to have kits. The rouge had snarled and attacked them, but Frost had beaten him. Thunder gulped now, remembering the glazed, crazy, hungry look in the rouge's eyes. He also remembered his father's amber eyes glazing over as Wing had tried to hide his mauled, bloody body from her kits. Thunder remembered his sister, Light. He didn't know if Light was still alive, but he missed her. He tried to cleanse these memories from him. _No more sadness_, he told himself.

He continued to follow his mother and his sisters, Speckle and Leaf, through the dense forest that was his home. They came across a sandy clearing, and his mother stopped short. They ducked down and sat at the edge of the clearing.

"She'll be here soon, she promised, though a long time ago," whispered Wing. They stayed still for a while. Then, "Can you hear that noise?" The kits tilted their heads, then nodded. Just then, two small shapes broke free from the undergrowth, tussling. Wing jumped up and hissed, claws sliding out.

"Relax!" called a voice. A white she-cat followed the two kits out into the center of the sand pit. "It's just me, and my kits."

Wing's gaze softened immediately. She sheathed her claws and scurried over to touch noses with the other cat.

"Oh, Kite! I missed you so much! It's been _such_ a long time. You have kits now? So do I!" Her voice was just barely a than scale louder than usual, but the other cat spoke loudly, with no fear of being caught. Wing winced and ducked lower to the sandy ground.

"Wing, I have so much to tell you! But first, these two little fur-balls are Snow, and Rain." She pushed her two kits toward Thunder, Speckle, and Leaf. "Go on now, don't be shy. Stay right where we can see you! Wing and I want to talk for a little."

The kits approached each other shyly. Snow was a pure white kit, and her brother Rain was gray and fluffy. They looked to be about seven moons, just a little older than than Thunder and his sisters. The kits looked at each other with curiosity.

Snow suddenly broke out.

"Have you heard the news? There are more and more cats moving into the forest! Our mother just came back from a long journey. She was trying to find a new home, but the land on the other side of the Thunderpath is all swampy, or rocky. We were born far over there. Our mother and your mother were best friends a long time ago. Why is your mother so quiet?" she stopped suddenly and gasped for breath. All the kits stared at her, except for Rain, who was busy shredding a leaf. He hadn't even noticed anything. Thunder wondered why. "Oh, by the way, this is Rain, and he doesn't talk much, so I just talk for him," Snow continued.

Speckle brightened and started chatting; Thunder could see that the two cats would be a good match. Speckle also loved to talk. Leaf was quieter, like Wing, and was always lost in her thoughts. She had been very close to both Frost and Light, and had been affected badly when they both were lost. Wing had _always_ been sort of quiet, but now lived with a constant fear of attacks.

Speckle and Snow were still talking, so Thunder decided to join their conversation. It was about hunting.

"I love hunting!' he burst out. He actually hadn't hunted before, but it sounded great.

"I bet you don't even know how," Snow mewed, then leaped on top of him and wrestled him to the ground.

"Our mother is teaching us how to hunt," Speckle mewed proudly.

"We already know some stuff, because there wasn't much food along the Thunderpath. Kite had to teach us early so we wouldn't starve," Snow meowed.

Leaf whispered, "Can you catch something?"

Snow thought about this, then puffed up. "I've caught two mice, a squirrel, and a vole." Thunder was impressed, but tried not to show it. "Oh yes, and I just caught a little orange cat by the name of Thunder." Her eyes twinkled, and Thunder ducked his head.

"What about Rain?" Speckle asked.

Snow glanced at Rain uncertainly; he was busy watching a butterfly with serious concentration, and wasn't listening.

"Well… he hasn't caught anything… yet. But I bet he will soon!" She tried to look hopeful. "He's my brother, you know."

Thunder looked at Rain. _What was he thinking? Hmmm…Well, I know what I'm thinking; I want to learn how to hunt!" _He gazed at Snow and asked, "Can you show us how to catch something?"

Snow mewed, "Sure!" but Leaf looked worried.

"But our mothers said to stay in sight!" Wing and Kite were absorbed deeply in their conversation, except for one of Wing's ears, which twitched every so often. She was listening out for danger, like usual. But she wasn't listening to her kits.

"It'll be fine," meowed Thunder, "Do you want to learn how to hunt or not?"

"I do!"

"Then follow Snow, mousebrain!" Thunder was very excited. He was going on his first hunt! Wing had shown him some stuff, but they weren't ready yet. Snow sneaked through the forest until they smelled a mouse. It was sitting next to a tree stump, nibbling some grass. Thunder trembled with excitement. Snow crouched low, trying to step lightly. The mouse looked up, and it's whiskers trembled. Thunder forced himself not to breathe, so as to not make any noise. Snow suddenly pounced, and at once had the squirming mouse in her paws. She was having trouble holding on tight enough to get her claws free to kill it, so Speckle raced in and smacked the mouse for her.

"Thanks," Snow breathed out, "Now we can bring it back to Wing, Kite, and Rain!"

They started back. _I could do that,_ thought Thunder, _I know I could! _He lifted his head and tried to scent something, anything. He caught a whiff of a rabbit, and broke off from their little group. There, in front of him, lay a mother rabbit, with five little bunnies. _I can do this; just have to be quiet, because of those big ears she has. I'm sure I can get a baby one!_ Thunder started to stalk up quietly, and he found himself falling into a natural rhythm. He was silent and quick, and even though he had never hunted before, it seemed he knew what he was doing. He felt confident, and decided he would just get the mother first. He waited, amazed at himself. None of the rabbits had noticed him yet! He wobbled, and then leaped, straight over the bunnies, and landed right on top of the mother, who was as large as him. He quickly bit the back of her neck, and it was all done with.

Thunder felt so proud that he ignored his mother's voice warning him in his mind, about not making noise. He called the others back to him, "Speckle, Leaf, Snow! Come look at this!" The five baby bunnies were shocked still, bug-eyed in the grass. Thunder dealt each one a blow to the head, feeling only a little remorse. He set them out in a circle in front of him. _Wait until they see this! They won't believe their eyes! Where are they, anyway?_

Thunder waited and waited. He wanted to go get his family, but he couldn't leave his massive catch. Finally, he heard something coming towards him.

"Finally! I thought you were never coming!"

Two shining, yellow eyes stared at him through the dark undergrowth. Thunder stared back, and did a quick check. _Leaf, Wing, and Snow had green eyes. Speckle and Rain had blue, and Kite did too._ He himself had amber eyes, like his father had. This cat was unknown.

"Nice hunting, little kit, thank you." The cat stepped out. It was a dark red rouge with a happy look on her face. Her large, unsheathed claws clicked on the stones. Then her happy look the changed to murderous. "I'm very hungry, so I think I'll just take these rabbits."

"Wh-y-y we-e don't-t ju-st sha-re them-m?" Thunder managed to stammer out. He felt like the baby bunnies now; he couldn't twitch a whisker.

"I don't think that will work, you little fur-ball," she replied as she stalked towards him. _If they catch us, they will _eat_ us!_ His mother's voice sang in his head. Thunder tried to back away, but tripped over his clumsy white paws. _I'm going to die_, he thought. He closed his eyes very tightly and yowled as loud as he could.

"WING! HELP ME!"

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I really hoped you liked that. Please review!


	2. Saved!

Back to the story...

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The red rouge came down like a storm and swiped Thunder from under his paws. Thunder flew into the air and saw only a blur of color zooming around. _Someone, please HELP me…_ He landed, dazed, and then the rouge battered his body against a rock, and left him there. She started to munch on the large mother rabbit. She watched him with slitted eyes to make sure he wasn't alright, and running to fetch help.

"Sorry, sunshine-fur, but food was scarce where I was living, and I needed some, fast. It's too bad you were in the way of it. I hope you recover."

Thunder's whole body hurt. He was very large for a 6-moon kit, so that saved him when he was thrown around. A smaller kit, like Speckle, probably would have been knocked out. Leaf was larger than him, incredibly large. Frost had passed on his size to them, and his gentle, gentle nature to Speckle. One reason Frost had lost to the rouge was because he was reluctant to fight. Meanwhile, the crazy rouge had been the complete opposite.

Thunder watched blurrily as the red rouge started on the bunnies. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw an orange shape fly by. It landed straight on the rouge's side. It was Leaf! She was hissing and scratching, attached firmly to the rouge's back. Thunder was incredibly worried about her, but all he could do was watch.

The rouge made a move to roll over, but Thunder saw that.

"Leaf! Jump off, now!"

She did so, and ran into the woods, with the rouge closing in fast. Just then, as the rouge turned around a tree, Wing burst out of the undergrowth. She leapt, and bit the rouge on the shoulder. The rouge tried to swipe under her stomach, but Wing moved quickly. She leapt in again, but the rouge flipped her over. The rouge took a few swipes, but Wing pummeled the rouge's belly with her hind legs and got free.

A streak of white distracted Thunder. Kite had come to help, with Rain in tow. They ran to the scene as fast as they could, but Rain stopped to stare at sap oozing out of a tree.

Kite bunched up her muscles and sprang onto the rouge's back. Thunder tried to get up to help, but couldn't. All he could do was watch.

Wing tore one of the rouge's ears to pieces, and Kite clawed at her back. Thunder closed his eyes. There was so much blood! It was sticking at the rouge's pelt, blending in with the red. They strong irony scent made him feel sick, and he started shaking. It was alright to kill prey, but not another cat! And the rouge had been sort of nice…

His own voice surprised him. "STOP!"

Strangely enough, the fighting cats' yowls died down. Thunder almost purred with amusement. Why were they listening to him, a kit?

"Don't hurt her any more! No more blood or death!" Thunder still had his eyes squeezed shut, as if to cast away the graphic visions dancing in his head. He opened his eyes to see the red rouge limp into the forest, fur matted with blood.

"Thanks, sunshine-fur!" she called back, as if the fight had just been a game.

Wing and Kite looked much better than the rouge; Wing had a just a few scratches on her belly, and Kite only had a torn lip. Snow and Speckle peered out from behind a tree, while Leaf was lapping up water from a little pool. Rain was still fascinated by the sap, and had noticed nothing. Thunder wondered what was going on in his mind.

Wing glared at Thunder.

"How many times have I told you to be silent?" He voice rose higher and louder than ever before, "You could have been _killed_, don't you see! I can't lose another one! I just _can't_."

Her eyes were filled with anger, and sadness. She stalked into the trees, and Kite laid down in exasperation.

Thunder nodded slowly. All good feelings had evaporated.

Snow walked into the clearing.

"Well, I think that Thunder was very brave…"

Thunder warmed up. _That's right! I did stand up to a rouge all by myself!_

"…but Leaf was much, much braver."

Leaf looked their way modestly, and Thunder realized that he hadn't thanked anyone.

"Thank you, Leaf, thank you Kite, THANK YOU WING!" He called the last part into the forest, but was completely taken by surprise when Wing's face suddenly appeared a whisker's length from his own. She had flown out of the forest like a hawk.

"Didn't you understand me? Be _quiet_!" she hissed angrily in his face.

"Now, Wing," purred Kite, "I think you're being a little unreasonable. According to the evidence here, your son caught six rabbits."

Wing drew back and gaped.

"I was just trying to get you over here," Thunder mewed, "That's why I was loud."

Wing bunched her face up and meowed softly, "Kite, thank you so much for saving me, and my mouse-brained kit."

"Don't worry," Kite replied, "We'll always be here for you…"

Thunder was surprised. Cats usually didn't travel together. But times were changing, so maybe this was an improvement. Snow certainly was, as he had a new play-mate. Rain was a little… strange.

He broke from his daydreaming and realized that the newly formed group had started moving.

"Hey! I can't move that well, so can you help me?"

Wing grasped him by the scruff of his neck with her teeth, none to gently, and picked him up.

"Ooch, ouch. That hurts! My whole body hurts," moaned Thunder.

He strained to look back at the place where his first battle was fought. The grass was flattened and the carcasses were gone. He jerked, and then noticed that Snow, Speckle, and Leaf each smelled like fresh kill. _That's not fair…_ He thought. His mother had just recently weaned them off of her milk, and he found himself hungrier and hungrier more and more. _…I did catch them all. _He spoke his thoughts out loud.

"You know, someday I'm going to be this forest's greatest hunter."

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Please review!


	3. Rain

I thought I should put in explanation of why Rain is... different. More on the real story will be coming. Now, the last three moons have been skipped. As you know, if you read the prior chapters, that Kite's family and Wing's family have been together.

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Time fast-forwarded:**

**Three moons later…**

Thunder stretched in a shaft of sunlight outside of the hollow. _Ahh, it's so warm…_ Greenleaf was coming. His family and Snow's had found a place to make their own a few moons ago. It was deep in the forest, near a large tree where an owl slept. There had been a more and more fights over this little spot, which Thunder disliked. It wasn't that he was a bad fighter; it was just that he felt that all the pain and blood wasn't necessary. He was a young cat now, with broad shoulders and a pelt the color of bright autumn leaves.

He glanced around. Leaf was snoring loudly under the fern that she, Speckle, Snow, Rain, and he all shared. Leaf was grooming herself outside the tree-stump where she slept. Speckle and Snow were chatting softly, and Rain was scraping his claws into the earth. He still didn't talk. Thunder still hadn't asked Snow why… which he wanted to badly. But, he didn't want to be rude.

**Later:** The last rays of sunlight seeped through the tangles branches, and Thunder and Snow were sitting side by side. They were waiting for the mothers, Speckle, and Leaf to come back from hunting practice. Kite and Wing had made a system where they watched the young ones hunt and advise them in their skill. Snow and Thunder had hunted last moon, since they were more advanced.

Now they both silently watched Rain rolling widely on his back like he was trying to knock a bug off. Thunder watched him until he couldn't bear it anymore.

"Snow, what's wrong with your brother?" he burst out quietly.

She looked sad, so very sad. She slowly turned her head to face him. She opened her mouth, licked her little white fangs, and began her story.

"Once, Rain was a normal kit. He was two moons, like me, when it happened. Kite had just left for a moment to make dirt. Rain and I were alone, and he was such a daring kit.

'Let's play the food dare game,' he had squeaked. I had said OK. He first dared me to eat some bark. It tasted yucky, and I told him that I didn't want to play anymore.

'But you didn't dare me yet!' he had mewed. He always wanted to prove that he was brave. I decided that was a good idea, because I wanted to see him eat something yucky, too.

There was this bush…" Snow stopped and gazed far away. Thunder thought she looked much older than she should have. She took a deep breath and continued.

"A bush covered in little red berries. And I dared him to eat one… I didn't know what they were! I didn't know anything! I was just a little kit, but I almost killed my brother…They were something my mother calls 'deathberries', and they kill." Snow curled her tail tightly around her, and took a deep, shuddering breath. Thunder wanted to comfort her somehow, but he didn't want to interrupt her story.

"He almost died. He started yowling like his tail was on fire, and Kite came running back. He had already fainted, and Kite was yowling,

'WHAT HAPPENED?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!' Rain was always her favorite… I told her, and she looked as if she would fall right over. She wasted no time telling me what those berries were, but just dashed around tearing up every plant in sight. She was so scary. She'd just grasp an herb, rip it out of the ground, and stuff it in Rain's mouth. She must have finally got the right one, because he threw up the berry, and all of the milk he had drunk that day."

"He just lay there for a few sunrises, just lying there like I had killed him. I could hear him faintly breathing, and I wanted to go feel if his tiny heart was beating… But Kite wouldn't let me. She was so angry that she didn't speak to me, fed me so very little, and didn't let me near my own kin. When Rain woke up, he wasn't the same. Kite was distraught, and I was stunned. I was the whole cause of his disabilatie, and all I wanted to do was crawl under a bush and die. I think that's what Kite wanted me to do, too."

Snow looked lost and afraid as she finished her story. Thunder moved closer and meowed comfortingly,

"No, I'm sure she still loved you."

Snow nodded uncertainly, and then grimaced sadly. She didn't say anything.

They both were lost in their own thoughts as they gazed at Rain.

Poor, poor, Rain.

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I hope you liked that explanation! I _know_ deathberries usually don't do that, but... whatever. Please share your input on my story!


	4. New Kits

More fast forwarding! Yippee! So now Thunder is one year old. By the way, I put a bunch of connections in my story so far about the decedents of cats. Some of the cats here look sort of like some cats in present-day ThunderClan! What a coincidence... :)

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More Fast Forwarding:

Three more moons later:

The moonlight streamed down like cream into the clearing next to the owl's tree. Few noises were heard in the night, except for the lone hooting of the predator who owned the night sky. Thunder was silently sitting guard. He stared out into the dark woods, his mind calm and blank. His eyelids were heavy, and he kept jerking himself to stay awake.

_Oh, this job is so boring_, he found himself thinking, _I could just skip this and no one would notice…_But he knew that wasn't true. His gang was having a hard time defending their little hollow, and the prey around it. Speckle had been pretty badly scratched up in a dangerous fight with a group of sleek cats. The leader had been a dark she-cat. She called herself Shadow, and Thunder found his thoughts drifting back to her smooth, black pelt. She had been quite beautiful… He scolded himself; _You don't even know her! And anyways, you were fighting _against _her_.

His thoughts floated to another beautiful cat… Snow. Her white pelt strayed into his vision, often entering his dreams. They had been growing closer and closer… pretty soon he would try to tell her exactly how he felt. He hoped she wouldn't reject him.

A sharp noise jolted Thunder from his she-cat fantasies. Something was coming towards him. They made no effort to hide themselves, and made a lot of noise. Thunder jumped up and called to the others.

Thunder's gang had adopted a cat. An elderly cat that needed some care and love. He was old, and fragile as a bird bone. His name was Whiskers, and indeed that was an appropriate name for him. His whiskers were longer than his long black and white fur! Now, he came hobbling out of the den. The gang presumed that he had once been a strong warrior-like cat. In fact, he thought so himself. Whiskers told them stories about his youth, when he was challenged to many heroic battles. Of course, they were probably exaggerated…

"Whiskers! Go back inside. This isn't the fight for you," ordered Thunder. Whiskers lumbered back into his den and Thunder turned back to the forest. The cats were much, much closer, probably almost on top of them…

At that moment, a dark gray cat burst from the underbrush. Thunder whirled and hissed, ready, if unwilling, to fight. However, the gray tom obviously wasn't looking for one.

"You… must… help," he panted, "Pebble is having her kits!"

Thunder was confused. "Who's Pebble?" he asked, all thoughts of fighting gone.

"My… mate. Please, can we stay with you?" A small light gray she-cat dragged her round tummy out of the bushes and flopped next to her mate. She whimpered in pain.

Wing appeared by Thunder's side. Her eyes were glazed, as if remembering something… _Of course,_ thought Thunder, _The same thing happened to her! Will she let these cats stay?_ The question was answered right away.

"Come," meowed Wing quickly, "You need help." She led the pregnant Pebble to her den, with the anxious mate trailing behind. "Thunder, wake everyone else up."

Thunder did so, and then ran over to the den. Pebble was heaving deep breaths, and she was bloodied. Thunder looked away politely. He walked back outside and guarded the entrance to the den. He wondered what the kits would look like… _Ew, but not like this!_ He sat up in surprise; Wing had just shoved a wet bundle of fur under his nose.

"Lick it," she commanded, "It needs to keep warm."

"Why do I have to lick one?" he asked. "What about the mother and father?"

But Wing had already dashed back inside. Thunder looked down at the little squirming kit. He started to gently lick its fur forward and back, being careful not to be too rough. Kite strolled over and answered his question.

"Pebble is still birthing, Leaf and Wing are helping her, and Pebble's mate already has a kit in his paws."

"Why don't you take one?"

Her eyes clouded over, and Thunder remember about her experiences, and regretted saying that.

"I'm not that good with kits-" she started.

"It's fine," Thunder interrupted. He didn't want Kite to feel awkward, and really, he was fine. In fact, he was enjoying helping out the little new-born.

When it was completely dry, Thunder picked it up and softly placed it next to Pebble. There was another mewling kit nursing already, a fluffy gray one. A third kit was curled up under Pebble's mate's paws. Pebble's mate wasn't licking the kit, but just staring at it.

"It's gone," he whispered, "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," snapped Pebble, "Now how about you come and see your living kits instead of moaning over the dead one?"

Thunder could see that she too was sad, but being forceful and angry was her way of showing it. He took a look at the kits. They were so cute; just little fluffy rags of new life and energy. One was a little soft gray tabby, the one Thunder had been licking, and the other was a dark grey cat with a lighter-tipped tail.

"What will you name them?" asked Leaf.

"Well, they're both toms," started Pebble.

"The only female died," muttered her mate.

"Shut up, Ash," she meowed. He didn't even look hurt. "Anyway, so I thought we should name them Down and Pierce. That sounds good?"

"Yes," mewed Ash right away. _Wow_, thought Thunder, _Pebble really controls him!_

Speckle came in with a mouth full of robin from the small pile of fresh-kill. She dropped in amazement and gawped. Whiskers poked his head into the den and congratulated Pebble and Ash heartily. Thunder peeked outside to see the early morning sun rising over the trees and shine a warm glow over the den. As he padded out of the den, he felt a surge of pride. He purred with contentment. His group was growing, and strong. No one would dare to steal prey from them!

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Do you know which cats in ThunderClan decend from Pebble and Ash? Coming up in up-coming chapters: A new rival group is forming, Thunder makes a new friend, he meets some long-lost cats, and other stuff. Please review, and hand me any ideas you think could make this better.


	5. Black Cats

Muhahaha! Time warp time! Everybody sing the fast-forwarding song! Don't forget the dance that goes with it...

Warning: This chapter will be slightly violent.

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**Even More Fast Forwarding**

**Two moons later:**

Thunder watched happily as two little gray puff-balls rolled out of their den. Pierce and Down tumbled and squealed, batting each other with identical fluffy gray paws. Their voices rang out in the clearing.

"Now I've got you, you silly fox!" Down was tugging on Pierce's tail with his teeth. Obviously, Pierce disliked that.

"I don't want to be the fox anymore," whined Pierce. "Why can't you be the fox for a change?"

"'Cause you have _the tail_, Pierce. But it's OK, I have another idea. I'll be a TwoLeg, and you can be my dog." Down reared up on his hind legs, took a wobbly step, and fell over. Pierce jumped on him and pretended to bark and lick his face.

Thunder twitched his whiskers in amusement. Light padding footsteps came behind him, and Snow's warm body settled beside his. She passed him a vole.

"Thanks," he meowed, "Do you want some?" She purred gratefully and took a bite. Thunder entwined his orange tail with her white one. They were mates now, and Thunder would do _anything_ for Snow.

Whiskers trotted over and stated to tell a story about how he had chased away a dog when he was younger. Thunder was only half-listening.

"…And then the dog is running around and around the tree, and I'm about to leap down on top of it…" Something caught Thunder's eye. Speckle was standing stock-still in the middle of the clearing, under the Owl Tree, as they liked to call it. Thunder excused himself softly and padded over to her.

"Speckle, what's wrong?" She just shushed him.

"Listen! I though I heard something out there." She flicked her tail towards the trees.

"Um… Speckle, there are a lot of things out there. For example, yummy mice, which I am going to go hunt right now," Thunder meowed. He started towards the forest, but Speckle jumped and blocked the way.

"No! I'm sure I heard something big moving around. What if it's a fox or badger? What would you do? Huh?"

Thunder gulped. Speckle was usually never this strange. _She might be right, _he thought, _there probably is something out there, in the trees. Still, I'm going hunting. I can deal with a fox. _He stepped around Speckle and trotted at a fast pace into the forest.

The shadows twisted back and forth across the late New-leaf leaves as the scraggly branches blew. The twig scratched at his face, and Thunder instinctively snapped it with a swipe of his paw. A bird whistled, and Thunder jumped up a cat's hight. The tall bracken seemed to move, and Thunder ducked down. _Speckle's story made me paranoid! I'll never catch anything if I keep acting like a frightened kit!_ He looked again towards the bracken. If it was moving, that means there should be prey hiding inside.

Thunder dropped into the hunter's crouch. His two favorite things in his life were hunting, and Snow. His hunting ability just came naturally, and now he trod very lightly towards the waving stalks. It didn't really matter which animal he was hunting, he was just that good. He didn't need to use a particular crouch for a particular animal.

Suddenly, he stopped. Voices were coming from the bracken. He strained to hear clearly.

"Dusk, you mousebrain!" A cat whispered, "Don't move. They might find us!"

Another voice whispered harshly, "Both of you! Shut your mouths. This has to be a surprise." Thunder reeled. He knew that voice from somewhere… who was it? But anyway, he had to get back to camp. He quickly, and as silently as possible, raced back towards the Owl Tree. He heard snarls behind him and glanced back to see seven dark-colored cats burst from the bracken. _How did they all fit in there? Wait… One looks familiar!_ It was too late to check again. They pelted after him so close he Thunder could hear their ragged breaths. He bounded forwards, roared with all the air left in his lungs,

"Attacking! They are attacking!" and burst into the clearing. He skidded to a sharp stop on the white pebbles and turned to face the group. How he could face them all at once, he didn't even think about. He just trusted the others would come to his aid.

They burst from the trees like a gaggle of geese in formation. The black leader, directly in front, landed on top of Thunder. Her harsh voice met his ears with, "Hello, handsome. We meet again."

And then Thunder knew who it was.

"Shadow," he hissed. That malevolent black she-cat who had attacked his Owl Tree home twice before. The first time it had been just two cats with her, and Thunder's group had won. The next had been three, but Shadow's gang was still outnumbered and had fled into the forest. This time she had six followers, and they were the best fighters Thunder had ever seen. His group still outnumbered her's with seven to nine, but he wasn't sure that they could make it.

Shadow pinned him down with a forepaw, and bit him deeply on the shoulder. Thunder, being bigger and stronger, twisted up and out of her grasp. His shoulder pulsed and stung, but he ignored it. He snarled and leapt towards Shadow's thought. She easily ducked him and quickly clawed his stomach as her flew past. Her eyes were laughing. _Is this all she thinks this is? A game?_ Something stirred in his memory, in a shade of dark red, but was pushed away by his rage forming in a great wave.

He and Shadow circled, watching each others moves. Thunder watched Shadow's eyes to see if they would give away where she would spring. The green orbs flickered to the right of him, and he heaved to the left as she sprang… _to the left?!_ She had tricked him with just a simple movement of her eyes! She knocked him down and pinned him perfectly to the ground. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get free. She battered his head hard with her paws, drumming his brains into oblivion. He couln't think… and again a memory sifted into his vision. Dark red, matted with blood. Something…

He squirmed vigorously, trying to escape the deafening blows to his ears and skull. Suddenly, Shadow was pulled away. Snow had grasped her by her scruff and saved Thunder. Shadow's face was surprised, but she quickly slipped out of Snow's teeth like a minnow and leaped at her in a sleek black jet, with teeth bared and claws outstretched.

Thunder staggered to his feet and glanced woozily around the clearing. Ash was standing over his kits, and Thunder vaguely remembered hearing Pebble commanding him to take care of them while she fought the cats. Leaf and Wing were fighting one dark brown tabby together, and Speckle was locked in a vicious battle with a huge black tom. Pebble was wrestling a small tortoiseshell to the ground, and Rain was sitting on a pile of rocks with wild eyes, hissing like a mad-cat at anyone who dared to come near.

Thunder shook his head to clear away his foggy thoughts. His head was pounding still from the blows from Shadow's paws. _Where did the other dark cats go? Where is Whiskers? What should I do now?_ He stumbled back over to the spitting and hissing black and white ball of fur, teeth, and claws that was Snow and Shadow. Blood trickled down into his eyes, blinding him. He blinked furiously to wash away the stick red liquid, and rubbed his head in some weeds to clean the flow from his forehead.

He looked back up, narrowed his eyes, bunched up his muscles, and leaped into the fighting frenzy. He spotted a black cat and pounced on him. His head started spinning again, but he dug his claws into the thick black pelt and hung on. The cat had been fighting with Speckle, and now Speckle caught her breath and somehow fastened her teeth around the black cat's neck. Thunder slid off in relief and collapsed.

"Leave, if you want to live," Speckle hissed in the tom's ear. "And don't _ever_ attack us again." She let the tom free, and he ran into the forest spitting. Thunder looked blearily around and saw only one bad cat left - Shadow. She was cornered by Leaf, Kite, and Wing against a rock, and for the first time, actually had fear in her eyes. Blackness tugged at the corner's of Thunder's vision. _No, I _can't_ black out now_, he thought… Too late.

Darkness overtook him, and dark-red memories swam beneath his eyelids.

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Okie dokie; did you like it? Did you dislike it? Please review either way. Also, thank you to VioletRose52 and Pureheart's Cry for reviewing. I'll update soon, even though not many people even read this story.


	6. I'm Sorry

This chapter might be a little sad...

By the way, thanks to VioletRose52 and Portland Writer for reviewing!

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Thunder awoke in a sweet-smelling pile of leaves and moss. He sniffed around a little and noted that he was in a large den, probably the den of his mother and Kite. His eyes were closed and his head throbbed. He detected a presence near him and opened his eyes to see Snow sitting quietly by his side. He immediately felt warm and happy, despite the events yesterday.

"Good morning," he said sleepily, then looked around. He could tell Pebble was under a fern across from the rocky clearing from him. He could smell a strong scent of milk, and now _blood_, coming from there. Wing was lying next to Kite, tending Kite's various deep scratches. Leaf was busy licking Kite's matted pelt clean. Kite looked very upset. _Probably the fight that has disturbed her… _Thunder thought, but couldn't help feeling a twinge of unease.

He looked back up and was startled. Sadness was pouring off Snow in great, heaping waves. Thunder wondered what could have happened, and tried not to jump to conclusions.

"What's wrong, Snow? What happened?" he cried weakly.

Her liquid green eyes had lost their luster, and her voice was cracked with pain. She choked out one simple word, and Thunder understood what had gone wrong, terribly wrong.

"Rain."

His mind was a whirlwind of activity as he thought. After a long silence, he reached his head up and licked her muzzle. He whispered,

"I'm so sorry," and she rested her pure white head on his orange one.

"He never had a chance," she whispered hoarsely. "He was no match for any of them."

Rage boiled up inside of Thunder. How could have they, Shadow and her cats, done this? Rain had barely the mind of a kit; he was no threat to them! But they had killed him anyways. Rain was dead, and it was all because of greedy Shadow. He would never, ever have anything to do with her black, stinking, flea-bitten pelt again.

"Let me see him," he pleaded. Snow's green eyes hardened.

"You're not going anywhere. You got a nasty knocking on your head, and you're covered with cuts and bruises. It's a _miracle_ that you didn't die from brain damage." She spat out the word _miracle_ like it was a curse.

Thunder tried to make a weak joke to lighten the dark mood; "Well, I have a very thick skull, it seems."

She wasn't ready yet for jokes. She glanced at him angrily and then continued with grief. "It would have taken a _miracle_ to save him, Thunder."

He thought about this. _Did you wish that he could have had my miracle? Would you rather had had me pass and him stay?_ The choices hurt too much to think about. _Did you really love Rain more than me?! _ He tried not to feel hurt, if that was true, but it felt as if she had just ripped his ears off with her words. He closed his eyes to fend off Snow's haunting gaze.

_You're behaving like a kit, Thunder! It's her brother, for goodness sake! Are you really jealous of Rain?_ He didn't listen to himself blabber in his head, and tried again.

"Please? I need to say good-bye. I'll lean on you."

Snow looked angry, and then defeated.

"Fine. Just don't blame me if you end up opening any injuries." She shoved her nose under him and helped him stand shakily to his feet. He started to fall, but Snow was right there, pressing her pelt to his like a wet leaf, to keep him upright. He blinked gratefully and tried to convey his feelings to her through his amber eyes. Her own eyes were like cold, green stones on the riverbed, but something seemed to glimmer in them for a second. Then it was gone. He took a wobbly step towards the exit of the low-lying branches of the pine tree that was the den.

Once he got outside, he immediately spotted the rag of gray lying of to the side on a pile of smooth stones. He hobbled over and collapsed next to Rain's still body. Rain's wild blue eyes were open and staring dully. Thunder felt rage at this.

"Why didn't anyone close his eyes?! He's still a cat!" He hissed. But it didn't really look like he was a cat anymore. His long gray fur was stiff with caked blood, and the huge gash on his neck, the main cause of his death, was crusted red. His pelt was cut up like a kindergartner had gone scissor-happy.

Snow reached forward and gently nuzzled Rain's eyes closed.

"There. Now it looks like he's sleeping." Her eyes shone for a moment, and then she broke. "Thunder!" she cried, "Why did it have to be _him_?" _Would you rather it had been me?_ But then he saw the need for love and comfort in her eyes and knew that couldn't be right. Thunder sat up slowly, curled his tail over her soft white back, and pulled Snow down beside him. She was shaking.

"It's OK," he murmured softly in her ear, "It's going to be alright…"

And he hoped it would be, but as you know, no one can see into the future…

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I'm sorry to anyone who liked Rain. I almost started crying when I read this. (But I'm very emotional.) Please tell me what you thought! Next up: Thunder's group grows.


	7. A Bunch of Words

This chapter is made up of mostly dialogue between Thunder and various other cats in his group. I put a little surprise at the end of this chapter, so keep reading! Thank you to VioletRose52, Portland Writer, and xDreamsongx for reviewing! And, sorry, VioletRose52. Rain is 100% dead. It hurt me to do that, but it had to happen. There will be some more deaths in this story, because **the battle** is coming up. Review if you want to save your favorite cat (or if you would like one to die...)!

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"Thunder, come and play with me!" Down squealed. He had grown very attached to the orange cat, and constantly wanted his attention.

Thunder sighed. "Not right now, Down, I'm sort of stuck here." His ears twitched. He was reclining his soft leafy nest, as he had been since he had come back from his little trip across the clearing this morning. He was waiting for Wing to come back from her hunting excursion so she could tell him what had happened when he blacked out. Snow was still seated beside Rain's body, licking his fur back over his wounds. A warm breeze stirred the pine needles and slightly ruffled his fur. Thunder closed his tired eyelids, rested his woozy head on his large white paws, and fell asleep.

When he awoke, Wing's golden-brown pelt was shimmering like heat waves. Thunder blinked and shook his head, and the dizzying effect disappeared. Wing's sharp meows penetrated the thick sleep-fog surrounding his head.

"… Why didn't you listen to Snow? All this walking around is not going to help you heal!"

Thunder was desperate for news. "What happened while I was out?"

She looked at him sternly. "Well, as you remember, Leaf, Kite, and I had cornered that sneaky leader."

"Shadow," he corrected immediately.

She looked at him strangely. "OK… We had cornered her, three to one, and tried to ask her some questions."

"What'd you find out?" Thunder interrupted.

"We could only draw from her that they wanted our Owl Tree and our prey. She wouldn't tell us anything else, and then she escaped."

Thunder was stunned, but felt a little impressed; "It was three to one, and she escaped?"

"Nearly killed us all doing it. Shadow just leaped over Leaf, who wouldn't hurt a moth, as you know, and almost took her ear right off…"

"She what?!"

Wing ignored him. "Then she spat and clawed Kite and me to shreds, and spun and took off. She yowled behind her, 'It's not over, Thunder!' Do you know what she's talking about?"

"Not really," Thunder replied honestly. "What about Leaf? Is she OK?"

His mother replied, "Leaf's fine. She didn't get that many other injuries, because she stayed away from the best fighters. She has a good brain." Wing glanced at Thunder. "Unlike you. You must have gotten hit really hard to think you can walk around with that number of wounds and a faulty head. You have to stay right here if you want to get better."

"Is everyone else fine?"

"Well, that daring cat Pebble got a few nasty bites and scrapes, but she's doing well. Speckle is clean as a whistle; she's sure got fighting talent. Whiskers just hid in his den the whole time. He obviously obeys orders well."

Thunder faintly remembered telling him to go hide and not try to fight.

Just then, Leaf came in and dropped a robin at Thunder's paws. Thunder drew back when he saw her ear. It was crusted and torn right down the middle. Leaf looked rather tired, but her pelt was mildly free from cuts. She obviously wasn't too hurt from her ear problem.

"Here," she told Thunder, then plopped down beside him. She gently began to clean his wounds up, scraping her tongue over them. One re-opened, and she carefully pulled a spider web down from a low branch and stretched it across the cut. Thunder was impressed.

"Wow! That's pretty neat. Where did you learn the trick with the web?"

She purred. "Oh… just from a cat I met in the woods."

"A cat in the woods?! Did she want something?"

"No… she lives far from here. I was hunting, and I found her healing… her son's wounds. I asked what she was doing, and she showed me a few tricks."

Thunder thought a little. They could really use another cat who knew some medical skills. Leaf knew some, and so did Kite, and Ash. They were the healers after the battles.

"Well, Leaf, if you ever see this cat and her kit again, can you invite her to join our group?"

Her eyes brightened, and she nodded right away. Then she jumped up and raced out of the den.

As she left, Thunder heard some screeches coming from the fern den where Pebble, Ash, and the kits stayed.

"What do you mean?!" Pebble's voice yowled, "You think I shouldn't have fought?"

"Well, yes," Ash responded quietly.

"I can fight just as well as anyone else!" his mate roared.

"No, no, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Thunder could imagine Ash cowering under Pebble's mighty, spitting form.

"…The kits," he replied weakly.

"What about them?" she demanded forcefully.

"…Um… well… Dear, if you get hurt and die, you also kill the kits. They need your milk, and if they don't get any, they will starve. Don't just think of yourself. You have two lives in your paws!" Ash's voice had grown louder and stronger as he went on, and Thunder couldn't help being awed at the quiet cat's sudden bravery and ferocity. He had a lot of guts to stand up to Pebble. Pebble was completely silent for a long moment, then spoke in a hushed whisper to Ash. Thunder strained to hear what they were saying, but couldn't hear anything. A sudden voice broke his concentrated listening.

"Eavesdropping, are we?" It was Whiskers, who liked to pretend he was Thunder's fatherly figure. He had walked in, unnoticed by Thunder.

"Well, not really," Thunder replied, "They _are_ yowling it out so loud that I could hear them by the _Thunderpath_! I'm not sure I would call that eavesdropping…"

Whiskers twitched his namesakes, then meowed, "There are some cats here to see you."

Thunder was surprised. Who could have been coming? He asked Whiskers to pull up the branches so he could see them. A dark brown tabby she-cat was standing in the middle of the clearing. Thunder looked at the other cat, and his amber eyes widened. The cat was a black tom with two wide stripes that traveled down his back and tail, but that wasn't what Thunder was surprised about. He stared at his sister, Leaf, who was standing next to this cat. Her orange tail was entwined tightly with his fluffy tail, and she was whispering softly in his ear. The striped cat purred loudly. Leaf obviously had met him before; _no one_ would be that friendly with a stranger.

_How long has she been seeing him?_ Thunder asked himself, and then; _What else has Leaf not told me?_

_

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_Muhahaha! Quiet Leaf has some secrets! More on them next chapter. Remember, please review!


	8. Leaf's Secrets

Thank you to VioletRose52 and Portland Writer for reviewing! Sorry, VioletRose52, that I killed your favorite character. Don't worry, obviously Thunder can't die. Now, Leaf's secrets will be revealed!

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Thunder swiveled his head like an owl from Leaf to the black and white cat. What had been going on that he didn't know about? Leaf peeled herself from the tom's pelt, and introduced the two cats.

"This is Chip," she meowed, pointing her tail at the brown tabby, "and this is her son Skunky." She shot a loving glance at the black and white tom. It was very obvious why his name was Skunky. Then something clicked in the back of Thunder's mind:

_-"Where'd you learn the trick with the web?"_

"_Oh… just from a cat I met in the woods."_

"_A cat in the woods?! Did she want something?"_

"_No… she lives far from here. I was hunting, and I found her healing… her son's wounds. I asked what she was doing, and she showed me a few tricks." -_

Of _course_! These were the two cats Leaf had met! But how many times had she seen them? He would have to ask her after he welcomed the new cats.

"Hello," he purred, trying to make a good first impression, "I hope you'll like being with us! I'm Thunder, Leaf's brother." He looked at Skunky meaningfully and continued. "I can't get up right now, so I'll have Speckle show you around." Chip purred her thanks, and then Speckle flicked her white speckled golden tail and trotted across the clearing. Chip followed her, and Skunky shared a glance with Leaf before running to catch up.

Thunder waited until they were out of earshot, then called Leaf over to him. She walked slowly; for some reason she had started to act lethargic. Thunder wondered why.

"How long have you been meeting him?" he demanded immediately when she reached him and settled into the nest beside him.

Leaf was quiet and looked at her paws. Then she tilted up her head and stared defiantly right into Thunder's eyes. "Two moons."

"Two moons!? Why did you never tell me?" he snarled angrily.

"Because I knew you would act like this. I was going to tell you, I was just waiting for the right time."

Thunder glared at her. "When was the right time?"

"When you invited them to come with us."

He hissed. That was right; he had invited them. He scraped his claws into the earth. Leaf noticed his anger.

"Personally," she half-snarled, "I think you're making as much sense as a dead chipmunk." Thunder was stunned. Leaf _never_ insulted others, just as she _never_ raised her temper.

"I'm just looking out for you," he hissed.

"I never asked you to. I can take care of myself!"

Thunder lay silent, steaming. _I'm just trying to be a good brothe_r, he thought,_ why can't she see? She just brings home a random mate one day; that's not supposed to happen!_ Finally, he spoke again, after he had calmed down a little.

"Let me go talk to this 'Skunky' friend of yours."

She glared at him. "You don't have to take this so harshly…"

"I'm not!" he replied, offended.

"…Yes, Thunder, you are."

He staggered to his feet and tried to stalk across the clearing, but ended up just wobbly dragging his feet there. His head swam, and he took deep breaths to get oxygen to his brain. When his head cleared, he located Skunky in his sights and zoned in. Skunky was quietly eating a squirrel by himself. Thunder sat down.

"Hello, _Skunk_y," he said scathingly.

Skunky looked surprised.

"…um, hello."

"I have a quick question to ask you."

"OK, master. What shall it be?"

_What?_ Thought Thunder, but he meowed, "Oh, think you're a wisetom, huh?"

"No, I think I'm a squirrel."

"Um… anyway, I have to ask you a question."

The back and white tom's eyes twinkled. "You said that already."

Thunder wanted to beat his head on the rocky ground. "Stop trying to confuse me!"

"I haven't done anything to make you confused."

"Stop it," Thunder hissed, "Or I'll shred you!"

"Ooh, anger management issues… And anyway, I thought you were disabled? You can't go attacking me or someone (coughyoucough) might get hurt."

Thunder growled, and Skunky decided that it was time to stop joking around.

"OK, um… yup. What was that question again?"

"How long have you been seeing my sister?" Thunder growled.

Skunky replied automatically, "Three moons."

_Three moons?_ Thunder thought, _That means Leaf was lying to me! She said _two_ moons!" Oh, I really have to go talk to her._

Thunder proceeded to drag himself across the clearing, with Skunky trailing him all the way. Wing yowled something about staying in his den, but Thunder ignored her. He reached the den and collapsed into his nest again. Leaf was snoozing, but Thunder jolted her awake. Skunky sat down and squeezed himself into the same nest as Leaf. She purred with amusement.

"Look, Leaf," he growled, "Why did you lie when I asked you to tell me how long you've been seeing Skunky?"

Her leaf-green eyes shone angrily. "Because you don't have to know everything."

"I'm just trying to be a good brother."

"No, you're just trying to be over-controlling. You want to know everything about what goes on in this camp. Just because everyone has taken you for leader, that doesn't mean I can treat you like my brother anymore."

Thunder hissed, "I'm just trying to protect you."

She curled her lip. "If you haven't noticed, Thunder, I'm bigger than you. Also, I was the second born. You were the _third_. I can take care myself!"

Skunky looked at his paws with great care, trying to pretend he wasn't listening. He looked up after a while. His yellow eyes lingered over Leaf, then glanced at Thunder, daring him.

Thunder exhaled slowly. He was never going to win this fight. Skunky obviously wasn't dangerous, and Thunder realized that he wasn't a bad cat. Also, Chip had been teaching Leaf about taking care of wounds. That was helpful.

"Well, at least you aren't pregnant," he meowed.

Skunky muttered something about "having to make dirt" and shot out of the den as fast as his legs could take him. Thunder watched him go, then looked back at Leaf. She had a strange expression on her face.

"Um, Thunder? There's one other little thing about Skunky and me that I forgot to tell you…"

From outside of the den, this is what the other cat's heard:

"They're due _when_?!"

"About one moon."

"... Did you tell anyone else?"

"Yes. Speckle, Wing and Kite know about it..."

(thump thump thump)

"Thunder! Stop hitting your head on the ground!"

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Ooooooh! Hm... interesting development... Any ideas for names and looks of kits? Also, remember that the battle is coming up. If you review, there might be a chance that you're favorite cat will not die. (Of course, you would have to tell me the cat.)


	9. Flashback Thingy

Ok, this chapter is pretty much just for making more time and keeping at the fromnt of the line. I want some more reviews, but people only look at the stories on the first page. I tried to make this chapter worthwile, though. It's a flashback. Don't forget to review about Leaf's kits! I need names!

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One Half-Moon Later:

Leaf looked so big that she was going to pop. Other than her pregnancy, nothing else very exciting had happened in the last half-moon. All the cats had recovered from their wounds, especially quickly with the help of Chip, who certainly knew what she was doing. Skunky and Thunder still weren't friends, but weren't that happy with each other either. Thunder's strong determined behavior and Skunky's laid back wise cracking attitude didn't mix that well. Thunder sometimes would wonder what exactly attracted Leaf to Skunky…

There was talk of a meeting. A band of loners had come around and had told Thunder's group about it. The loners had been complaining that Thunder's group had stolen their prey. They had walked into camp, and it had gone something like this:

…"I tell you, I was about to catch a shrew over by the river, and that she-cat just stole it out from under my nose!"

Thunder looked at the cat he was pointing to with his tail. "Is that true?"

Speckle meowed, "Of course not! I didn't even see him until he leaped on me. I just caught the vole first."

"That's not true," the cat retorted, "I could almost touch it with my whiskers, I was so close."

Speckle hissed, and the cat hissed back. Thunder jumped in between them, and meowed, "No fighting! We don't need anyone to get hurt over a little shrew!"

"They don't need this food," Speckle growled, "I've seen them fishing in the river…"

Another cat stepped forwards. He was the leader, and a quite handsome one with silvery fur. "It's not a matter if we need this food; it's a matter of rights. Just a few sunrises ago I spied two little gray kits running off with half of our food-pile."

All eyes turned slowly to young Down and Pierce, who were hiding behind a fern. Pebble looked incredibly angry. "They said that they caught the food themselves! They _lied_ to me!"

Pierce piped up, "We _tried_ to catch something, but we _couldn't_."

"Yah," mewed Down defensively. His fur was puffed up, and he looked like a little piece of down. Thunder thought, _He sure was aptly named_. Down was still going on; "And we saw this pile of mice. It was like someone was giving them to us!"

The silver leader growled. "I saw you two trying to be sneaky. You knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway." Down and Pierce looked guilty. They ran and hid behind their mother, but she swiped them out from under her feet with a paw and sent them tumbling. Ash was confused.

"Wait," he meowed, "If you saw them, why didn't you stop them from taking the prey?"

The leader looked flustered. "Well," he meowed slowly, "I just didn't want to hurt kits." Thunder didn't think this was the true reason, but he didn't press further.

He stepped forwards to meet the leader's guarded green gaze. "I'm sorry for any prey you have lost. But, I'm sure you were all kits once and behaved like these behind me. Prey is plentiful; we shouldn't be arguing." The silver cat nodded slowly…

The silver cat and his friends had melted into the trees and had gone.

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Just a little flashback for you. You should be able to guess who the silver cat is. I you don't know, I suggest you go re-read the Warriors series. Review! Review! Review! Please! I'm going to offer a reward in the next chapter for reviewers, so stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 10 Needs a Name

OMS! OGSC! I'm **_so_** sorry that I haven't updated in more than a month! I really tried to write, I did, but it's so hard on the last week of school to go unnoticed. Then I went on vacation for a week (yes, it was lots of fun), then I went to overnight camp for two weeks, then on vacation again, then to another camp, then I was gone for a long weekend camping. See? There was _no_ way I could have written another chapter! But now I have a whole week off all alone at home, so you should expect to see more chapters coming soon. Anyway, since that's all over with, I want to thank WarriorAddicted for all of the reviews! THANK YOU! And now for a short quick story story before the real one (I was bored and wanted to share it);

Me: "Dumdeedumlala" (walks into computer room and looks over dad's shoulder at computer)

Computer: **Yahoo mail thingy-ma-jigie** (I see _**Thunder's Story** _in big letters a bunch of times over and over. I used my dad's mail address...)

Me: _AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHOHMYOHMY-DID-HE-FIND-OUT-WHAT-DOES-HE-KNOW?!!!!?!!!!?_ _OHNOHONOHONOHONOHONO_ (says in a calm and controlled voice:) "Hey Dad, whatcha doin?"

Dad: "I'm looking at my mail. Is it ok if I delete this fan fiction stuff?"

Me: _YES YES YES_ _YES DELETE IT DON'T LOOK!!!!!! _(looking closely) "Yah, go ahead, it's nothing." _DELETE IT! RIGHT NOW! IT WAS NEVER THERE! YOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING..._

Dad: "OK" (deletes it)

Me:_ THAT WAS SCARY SCARY SCARY!!! PH-ew... but did he see anything? What did he read? Let me test him... _"You see, I put that story on my favorites list, and so the website e-mails me a notice whenever a new chapter is uploaded. And those review things, that's when I review a story. It tells me that my review got through.

Dad: (nods, not really paying attention)

Me: _Ha ha ha oh my God, that was sooo close, I'm so glad he believed me..._ (Walks away with thumping heart and shaking hands, neither noticed by Dad...)

-Daddy, if you are reading this (oh no) for some strange reason like that you actually read my mail, I'm sorry that I "lied" to you. Now do you see, fanfiction readers? The terrible danger I am in? I have to keep this a secret from my family... there was a close call with my mom, but that's another story for another time...

OK here we go with the real story:::::::::::::::::::::::

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A big discussion was coming, and Thunder was preparing. He knew that the talking would not end well, and would probably turn into a battle. He tried to train his cats in combat, but they didn't listen well. They didn't understand that not every cat in the forest had the same views as their leader. (Thunder was a pacifist, if you haven't noticed that yet.) He made sure that they ate and slept well, though.

Leaf's kits had come, and the little black and yellow she-cat was strong and healthy. There had been a male kit, but his life had been taken when a group of kittypet-rouges invaded the camp. The poor kit had been crushed under the den; it had collapsed. Leaf had quickly picked up the she-cat and pushed her outside, but the den had caved in before she and the tom could escape. Leaf was badly bruised and shaken, but in good shape otherwise. Not so for the kit… The whole group was very angry at the rouges, but anger couldn't save a life. On the positive side, the she-cat was fine, and called Sting, because her markings looked like a bee's.

The other groups in the forest were talking about meeting, and Thunder had agreed. _We should talk things out_, he had meowed. _That's a good idea._ It had been a very young light blue tom who had come, a messenger for his group. He said that his group lived in the woodland near the TwoLeg place, and that a long-haired silver tom had told _his_ family to tell Thunder the plan. All the cats in the forest were to meet at full-moon under the four oak trees. There were only a few sunrises until the full moon.

Food was scarce. Leaf-fall was here, and the prey was hiding. More and more cats were entering the forest. Even kittypets! That didn't surprise Thunder, because Thunder's father had been one himself. But Thunder avoided the new cats; he had enough cats in his own group to take care of.

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"Bee-brain, I'm over here now!" Snow was commenting on Thunder's fighting skills. "Ha, you can't catch me!" She was _very_ quick, and Thunder had lots of trouble pin-pointing her position long enough to jump.

"Just stay still!" he mewed with annoyance, "And then you'll be sorry." In truth, he was thinking, _She's so beautiful…_

She mrrowed with laughter. She was literally running circles around him. He shivered as her sleek white tail whipped across his face as she sped by. A paw hit his back, and since he wasn't expecting that, he slid down forwards with an undignified "Oof". His muzzle met the wet leafy ground, and the golden trees dripped rainwater onto his head. He sniffed in the scent of wet moss while Snow put a paw proudly on his back and twitched her tail.

"I got you," she whispered in his ear.

"That's because I was distracted…" Thunder whined like a kit, "Get off! You're _heavy!_" Snow blinked slowly, and a mysterious look rose to the surface of her green eyes…

* * *

"Tuck! Now, roll under and swipe! No, Pierce! Swipe with claws _sheathed_! You're going to hurt your brother!" Thunder stalked back and forth as he anxiously watched the two young cats wrestle about the rocks. The rocky crest was out of the normal area Thunder's group stayed in, for fear of other gangs hurting them so far from camp. But today was beautiful. A white crescent shell of moon glistened in the wide, pale blue ocean sky. The cats' worries had drifted away with the clouds, so they had come to this place and hoped that no one would attack them. Yet shadows flickered behind the boulders, and a strange reptilian stench.

Pebble and Speckle were chatting quietly on a large stone as the watched the young brothers hiss and scratch. Ash was helping Chip gather apples under the apple tree on the rocks. Wing and Kite were perching on the slim branches, busy knocking down apples. Since food was scarce, the cats would have to try and eat fruit.

Down turned to Thunder proudly to show that he had pinned Pierce, but Pierce used a simple move to knock Down over. Thunder closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to watch. "We're not going to be ready in time," he confided to Skunky, who was basking in the sun beside him. Skunky just yawned.

"What are you so worried about? Anyways, preparing for an imaginary battle is not something these kits should be doing…"

Thunder pried his eyelids open and tried not to bare his teeth at the striped tom. "Isn't there a kit you should be with?" He meowed, "I thought I heard her calling for you."

Skunky looked at Thunder with amusement. "You must have bee's wax in your ears. If you remember, Sting is cozy curled up sleeping with your sister in the nursery, far away." Thunder pretended to not hear and watched Down and Pierce's fight, pelt hot with embarrassment. He was so used to saying that to Skunky when he became irritating (which happened to be quite often) he had forgotten where they were. But still, Skunky was sometimes going too far. _I might have to have a _talk_ with Skunky about disrespecting the leader_, he thought. But a certain black cat saved Skunky from this terrible fate. (As Thunder was sometimes known to have lengthy and boring "talks"…)

"Attack!" Shadow roared as she swooped down on them as swiftly like her namesake of a bird overhead. Various cats, even more than last time, poured out from the nooks and cracks of boulders. Thunder raced over and tackled a large brown she-cat. She snarled with yellow teeth and easily shook him off. A tom leapt on him from behind and Thunder collapsed. The she-cat clawed at his orange head fur and the tom leaned down for the killing bite. How could they have won him so quickly? Time seemed to slow down…

Thunder looked around and saw his friends fighting for their lives. He saw Kite and his sister running away, pelts torn and bloody, just to be pulled back into the rocks by the cats of his nightmares. He saw his love, Snow, dash to the fight with claws outstretched. She paused for a moment on a boulder, her pelt blinding in the sunlight and her head swiveling back and forth, looking for him. As his gaze met Snow's, a sudden burst of adrenaline ran through his veins. He had to survive this for one very important reason; their kits, soon to come, needed a father.

Thunder coiled his muscles and pushed upwards with impossible force. The tom's yellow eyes widened in surprise as he was flung away. The she-cat cowered under Thunder's form, terrified of this amazing tom who had just shaken off two powerful cats like he would shake off water droplets.

"If you leave _now_," Thunder snarled, "I _might_ not hurt you." He prepared to spring at her.

She ran away as fast as her blocky legs could carry her, not even looking back. The other cat had joined the fight, and Thunder could tell that his cats were doing badly. The young gray brothers had already run away, and his mother was cornered on the topmost branches of the apple tree, splatting overripe apples onto the hard stones and the heads of cats. However much he hated doing this, he called his cats to end the fight. He didn't want anyone to _die_.

"Retreat!" Pebble looked at him with furious expressions, but Thunder stood up tall and called again, "My group! _Retreat_!" Then the cats turned like the ocean tide and flowed into the forest, running for their lives. But some cats didn't move. Thunder stared sadly at the bodies left on the rocks. A gray pelt, a black pelt, a dark red pelt, and a _white pelt_. His heart started beating like a rabbit's and he raced down to the rock where the white cat lay like paws had caught fire. _NO! It can't be Snow!_

_

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_Did you like it? Hate it? Are you _excited_ for the next chapter? Is it Snow? Who are the other cats? Are they all dead? I'll give a clue: two cats are with Thunder's club.

If I get more than 5 reviews for this chapter, then I will put something special in my story... a birth scene at a _bad_ time. Let's say, _the battle_? It would be exciting!_  
_


	11. Lalala Chapter 11 whatever

Back to the story! I'm going to try to add a chapter for each day that I'm home, OK? To bad that I didn't get many reviews, but thanks to VioletRose52 for the one review! I sure wish other people did the same! (hint hint) Anyway, is it Snow?

_

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NO! It can't be Snow! _Thunder raced up to the white cat, and his heart gave a heave. It wasn't Snow, it was _Kite_. Thunder felt guilty at feeling relieved that it wasn't his mate, but he quickly got over that to check if Kite was alive.

He quickly leaned down to hear her breaths. Short, shallow gasps told him that she was alive, but struggling. She was unconscious, and the tip of her tail was torn off. He would need help to carry her back to camp. Just as he thought this, someone padded up behind him. A fuzzy gray face peeked over his shoulder and gaped.

"Is she alive?" Down asked. He had been hiding behind a boulder, so wasn't injured terribly. Meanwhile, Thunder was dripping red puddles onto the rocks, but there were more important things he had to do.

"Yes, but I'll need your help to take her back."

They both padded over to the next cat, but Down raised his head, yowled in shock, and raced over to the side of the gray matted body. Thunder hoped with his whole heart that the cat, either Ash or Pebble, was still alive… but he had to tend to others first.

The cat beneath his paws was an older scared dark red she-cat who looked vaguely familiar. Her yellow eyes were slits as she looked at him, and she tried to speak.

"He-lo," she hacked out. He shot her a venomous glance. She had just attacked his cats, and now she was being friendly? He was about to move on, since she was from Shadow's group, hence last on the rescue line, but something else she rasped triggered his memory; "Aren't you… going to say hello…" She coughed up blood, but didn't seem to mind. It almost seemed like she was enjoying a private joke, despite her predicament. She continued, "…hello… back, _sunshine-fur_?"

Thunder's memory dam burst, and his head was flooded with images of a the dark red rouge that had attacked him as a kit. She was much older now, but still the same one. He took a deep breath, licked some of his wounds, and pretended not to notice what she had just meowed. He moved on. _I'll deal with her later_.

Down was leaning on the gray cat with his eyes closed. Thunder realized with a shock that it was _Ash_. He was obviously dead…

The stones felt freezing cold under his paws. _Not another one_… he had a flashback of Rain, the same gray pelt, the same quietness… _Arh! Why do we fight so often? __Cats die_… How he _hated_ Shadow… He left Down to mourn for his father, and went to see the last cat, the black one. It was gone. _What?_ He scanned the rocks, searching. _Was it just my imagination?_ No, there was a bloody puddle where the cat had been pushed from the branches, and he spotted a red smear leading into a cluster of rocks…

Thunder walked along the trail. As he passed into the shadow of the rocks, and a chill ran through him. He ignored the old red rouge's warning; "I wouldn't… If I were you…" and ducked his head to avoid some low-hanging rocks. He entered a small sort of open-roofed cave. The bloody trail suddenly stopped in the middle of the cave…

Thunder's heart froze, and he swung his head side to side to find the cat. He thought would beat out of his chest, but he cocked his head and swiveled his ears to find any source of noise. Heavy breathing… _Ah ha, got you_… Behind him! He preformed a flip and found himself face-to-face with none other than Shadow.

They circled each other, him bleeding and her limping with a broken leg. She sneered at him.

"Cornered now, aren't we, handsome?"

"Look, Shadow, if you value your life, and your red friend's life out there, I would recommend leaving."

"One; she's not my friend, and Two; if I remember correctly, my group just won that battle…"

"That battle isn't over yet," Thunder snarled, and leapt at her. She ducked low and winked at him as he sailed by, purposely missing her. She knew she wouldn't win, but wouldn't give up either. He knew that he couldn't hurt her without killing her, which, however much he hated her guts, he didn't want to do. They went back to circling, and Thunder decided to find out more about the red rouge.

"So… why isn't that cat your friend?"

"Rust?"

"Um… sure."

"Rust is my mother," Shadow said flatly.

Thunder reeled in shock. Of course! The same humorous attitude towards fighting, the same looks, the same… His thoughts were broken into as Shadow sprang on him, using his distracted moment to her advantage. She dug into his shoulder, but jump was awful due to her injury and, so he rolled down and crushed her broken leg on the floor. She yowled in pain and let go.

Shadow laid panting on the rocks. Thunder licked his rough tongue over his wounds as he waited. She finally got up with tremendous effort and started the circling again.

"I have an idea," Thunder stated calmly.

"Let's hear it," Shadow snarled.

"An alliance."

Shadow grinned. "Over my dead body."

"Then I guess I'll have to kill you." Of course, he wouldn't, but he was hoping she wouldn't know that.

"Hah! You don't have the heart to kill a moth!" _Foxdung…she knows._

They circled some more. Thunder's feet were getting tired. _Why don't we just _sit down_ and discuss this?_ Then Shadow opened her mouth.

"On second thought… only if you give us some of your territory."

No way, Thunder thought, but he realized that that would be the best…

"Fine. It's a deal."

"And you let me go safe?"

"…yes."

Shadow nodded and clawed her way weakly up the rocks. She didn't look back.

"See you at the meeting," Thunder called after her. Then he whispered, "In peace."

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An alliance! What happened to Rust? What about Kite? Do you feel sorry for Ash? I do. That chapter was difficult because I had to finish it before my mom came home, and I did it speedy quick. Sorry for anything that doesn't make sense! Ugh! I have so many things I want to put in before the meeting, but I put it all! Anyone who reviews gets a free plushie of Thunder!


	12. WARNING: I was hyper!

Hi everyone! I just got _Bluestar's Prophecy_ and I'm soooo happy!!! (Yah see, when I get a book I've been waiting for I go _insanly_ insane and get _hyperly_ hyper and WOOOO! It also didn't help that I had two root beer floats before I went to bed but WHATEVER! I got da book at **9**, read till **11**, then _thrashed_ around awake until **12:40** thinking about it (And a bunch of story ideas!!!) I'm such a _night_ person but my 'rents aren't if yah know what I mean... why do I keep saying _yah_? I mean YOU YOU YOU! There we go! I'm still so_** hyper**_ 'cuz I got the 2nd _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_! Who's read the first one? Who's LOVED IT?! **MEMEMEMEIDID**!!! But I DIGRESS... Anyway, I was thrashing around and bonking my head a bazillion times on the wall when I got this awesome idea for a story, so after I finish this story (probably in a bunch more chapters) look for my new one!!! Maybe all good ideas come from bonking your head n the wall... Next time I get stuck, I'll try it out! BTW, I so thought that it should have been Blue/Crooked and not Blue/Oak. I love Crookedpaw!!! You think this is crazy? You should have seen me when Sunrise came out! THAT WAS CRAZY! But that's another story for another time and the story is not this story and the time is not this time so I'm not gonna tell it!!! But only if you _**beg and PLEAD**_ I _WILL_! Hey, guess what? I can read minds! I know what you are thinking... "She's completely insane!" I got it right, _didn't_ I?

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Thunder watched with amusement as Sting carefully chose the prettiest squirrel from the pile of fresh kill. She dragged it over to the old red she-cat dozing in the sunlight. Rust had become part of their daily lives since she had been dragged in a half-moon ago. She had announced with a happy tone two sunrises after being pulled in that she liked it here.

"I'm staying right here for the rest of my days," she had declared.

"What?" everyone had meowed, "Why?"

"I like the way you run this place. And I like eating squirrels and birds better than snakes and frogs…"

But Thunder knew there was another reason; the she-cat had gotten attached to the little bee-striped kit. Sting was the only kit in camp, so of course was completely spoiled. But no cat spoiled her more than Rust. Thunder watched as she gratefully accepted the squirrel and ate it. Then, she sliced off the tail and tickled Sting on the nose with it. Sting sneezed, squealed with delight, and batted at the fuzzy hairs.

Thunder sighed happily and turned towards the other cats in camp. He wished that all days could be this care-free. Down and Pierce were hunting now. But he worried about them, especially Down. After their father had died, they both had been hit hard. Pierce would be fine with his strong, independent manner, but Down was as fragile as a feather. He still needed someone to cling to, but his mother just wasn't the "cling" type.

Leaf sat next to Skunky, who was joking absentmindedly. Leaf had tuned him out and was watching Rust and Sting play with a jealous expression. Thunder couldn't blame her; after all, she was Sting's mother. But sometimes it was good to let others help out. It wasn't as if Sting loved Rust more than her own mother. _Was it?_

Speckle was ranting on and on to her mother and Kite. Kite had suffered from serious bite wounds on her legs, after two cats had nipped harshly at her heels. Loss of blood made her weak, but she insisted she go to the meeting.

Thunder listened in:

"…And those mangy crow-food eating cats near the TwoLeg place have been snatching the prey right out of our treetops! I can't wait to put them in their place tonight!"

Thunder glanced at the sun, shining through the dark clouds. Daylight was disappearing as fast as the prey in the fresh-kill pile, and as soon as the last rays dipped behind the horizon, Thunder's group would move. _At the meeting, tonight._ _I should take almost all cats… _except, of course…

Small wet snowflakes began to fall, stinging his nose and melting on his hot pelt. The first snow of winter. As the other cats moved to take cover under the swinging dark branches of the evergreen trees, Thunder headed the other way.

He padded over to a stony outcrop. Ducking under some branches Ash and Pebble had placed there, he rested his gaze on one of the cats that wouldn't be coming, no matter how much she wanted to. It was cozy and warm in the Pebble's old nursing den. Snow was only a few sunrises away from birthing, so she, and Chip, the one who knew the most about kits and herbs, would stay. Thunder was pleased to see that Snow hade woven in her nest the bits of soft, downy feathers Thunder had plucked of a starling for her. Now, she was asleep.

She raised her head drowsily when Thunder entered.

"Is it dark yet?"

"No, it's the middle of the day. The meeting is a while off." He was lying; they had hardly any daylight left. She didn't notice.

"I wish I could come," she whispered for the thousandth time.

"What if the kits come while you are there?"

She chose to ignore him and change the subject;

"You'll be careful, won't you?"

"I'll be fine. It should be simple."

She looked at him with a serious green gaze, now wide awake.

"You think it's so _easy_, don't you."

"What?"

"You're so _brave_, and I love you for it, but do you ever think about what would happen if you were killed?" She sounded angry. "Don't be careless! I don't want us to end up like Pebble, Down, and Pierce. You need to survive for the other cats, too. They're _all_ counting on you to lead them through this."

Thunder stood, shock-still, letting Snow's words storm onto his like angry waves.

"Do you want our kits to grow up fatherless? There'll be no one to save you in a fight like this."

He answered weakly, "It's just a meeting, not a fight."

"What have you been preparing us for a moon, then? We all know very well that this will end in deaths. Cats have claws and teeth, and they know how to use them."

She was panting from the effort of yowling at him. Pawsteps behind Thunder alerted him to Chip's presence. She nearly pushed him over on her way to Snow.

"Don't get her upset," Chip snarled at Thunder. Then she placed a paw atop Snow's bulging belly. Her eyes widened. "_Now_ you've done it," she hissed, "Her kits are coming!" Thunder gaped. He didn't mean to upset her! He ran out of the den to fetch some wet moss. He didn't know much about kitting, but he knew that the she-cat got very thirsty. As he ran by, the other cats stared.

"What's going on?" asked Whiskers.

"Snow – kits!" Thunder yowled over his shoulder.

"Well, why are you running away?"

"Moss!"

Her quickly found a mossy tree and scraped some moss off. He dunked it in a puddle and took off. As he slid down into the clearing, he saw the owl swoop out of the Owl Tree. _It's dusk! The meeting!_ What would he do? He knew that he had to go to the meeting, but he desperately wanted to stay with his mate, and kits.

He dashed in and tumbled over his own large white paws, practically throwing the soaking moss at Chip. She jumped and shook herself off. Aster Snow had lapped up all the moisture out of the moss, Skunky strode in.

"Hey boss," Thunder hated being called that, "Are we going to go?"

"I can't! Snow is having her kits!"

"Yeh, but we need you, Thunder. You're our leader!"

Thunder opened his mouth to argue, but a pained voice started before he could begin.

"Thunder," Snow cried out as a spasm rocked her body. "Go! They need you more than I do."

Thunder was torn. What would he do?

Whiskers squashed himself in the entrance to the den. He had a look of understanding on his face.

"If it helps, Thunder, I'll stay here to help Snow. I'm too old to fight anyways."

"Go!" Snow hissed. "Go."

Thunder looked wildly from the cats peering in the entrance to his mate's heaving body. _What do I do?_ He wanted to see his kits. He wanted to stay with his mate. She was in pain! But so many cats were counting on him…

"I'll go."

Everyone cheered, including Snow. Thunder got up, licked her affectionately on the ear, and whispered, "Don't you worry. I'm coming back to see our kits."

Leaf shoved a squealing Sting into the nursery too.

"Don't get under anyone's paws! Stay clear of the kits."

Thunder thanked Whiskers, and took off like a rabbit, the rest of the cats on his heels. The sun was gone, only the clouds were tinted yellow in the distance. Chills ran through him as her pounded the cold, soggy ground with his paws. Sleet drove into his eyes and he squinted to stop the pain. His heart beat with worry each footstep he took. _It'll be fine_, he told himself, _Snow will be fine._

He stopped at the crest of the hill and waited for his friends. Below him, four giant oaks stood, the remaining leaves on the branches brown and dry. The smell of many cats overpowered him. Down looked at him with his old mischievous expression and gave Thunder a shove down the slope. The rest of the cats followed. They tumbled down the slope into the throng of moving bodies, skidding on sharp stones and sliding to a rest in the dirt.

Thunder pulled himself up to his full height. He was ready for whatever was coming. He would survive this. He was ready.

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Don't worry. I'm not hyper anymore. I want to thank Cheesypineapple and VioletteRose (who's name I messed up yesterday, I'm sorry) for reviewing! You both Get Thunder plushies. So... did you like it? Please give me all of your thoughts (that sounds evil) and help me be a better writer. I also need help with my battle scenes. Can someone give me some tips or pointers?

Thunder: Review her story! _I'm_ in it!

Snow: THUNDER! Get your stinking butt over here and help me name the kitties!

Thunder: Coming, dear!

Wolfstorm: Bye guys! By the way, I need help naming the Snow's kits... and colors, genders?


	13. Meeting!

They are at the meeting! Thank you to VioletteRose for reviewing! I like the kit names. Can you still go on Fanfiction while in Saudi Arabia? I wrote a new story! It's called _TwoLeg Time! _ThunderClan gets turned into humans and they go into town and cause chaos. Please R&R it! You know, I think I'll just let you read rather than annoying you with mindless babble...

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Glancing around, Thunder saw that the cats were in small groups, meowing quietly to each other. He shook his fur out in a dazzling display of orange. A small group of young she-cats watched him with wide eyes. Wing gave him a shove.

"Stop that, Thunder. You're too handsome for your own good."

Thunder just mreowed with laughter and found a good place to put his group. He climbed up onto a huge rock in the center of the clearing. No one objected, but Speckle dug her claws into the stone and pulled herself up too. There were many other cats sitting up here, but not just important ones. He saw Shadow sitting in the crowd, and the silver one was perched on a dead tree branch.

"Now," Thunder told his group, "You can either stay with the group or go talk to the other cats…" Down and Pierce nodded, and then made a bee-line towards the young pretty she-cats. Thunder twitched his tail as he watched Down's not-so-fluffy pelt disappear in the mass of cats. _They're growing up._

Speckle marched right over to a blue tom, who was also on top of the rock. _Oh, so that's why she came up here…_

"Look here," she spat, "I saw you in our territory, taking our prey."

Thunder groaned. Did she have to start with the fighting as soon as she got here?

"Anyone else?" he asked.

They shook their heads no. A black cat slunk by.

"Hello, Thunder," Shadow said smoothly, "Good to see you here."

"Hello, Shadow," Thunder said stiffly. They may have an alliance, but they still weren't friends.

Shadow turned to Rust. "You too, _mother_."

"Look Shadow, I'm not coming back. I never will. I like it with Thunder."

The two cats started exchanging angry words. It was time to get all the cats to listen. Thunder waited for someone to do something.

He waited. He chatted. He waited. He argued. He waited… _What the heck,_ **(I know cats don't say that, but what the heck.)** _I'll go on that rock myself._

As he shouldered his way through the crowd, he heard raised voices. Some sounded familiar. Speckle. _Foxdung_. He quickly slunk back to his group to see what was going on.

"That was our territory!" howled Speckle.

The blue cat hissed, "The trees were tall. You know that only my mother's group can jump that high. You never use it anyways!"

"We use the ground," replied Speckle angrily, "And heavy, stinking paws like _yours _send all our prey into hiding!"

"Stinking paws? You guys smell like badgers! _And_ you steal our prey!"

"Ours, too!" a white cat piped up. Thunder had seen the cat slinking around the territory near the four trees he was standing under now. His large family clustered behind him. "We don't have enough food anymore!"

"You have to lay out your territory," snarled a wiry brown she-cat. "You think you can just come into the moorland and take our prey, too? Not that you're good at it… You're family's white pelts stick out like orange leaves on a green tree!"

The silver cat with green eyes stood up. Mostly everyone became quiet.

"I have something to say," he snarled, then paused for a moment.

"Then get on with it," yowled Skunky, standing next to Thunder. Thunder shrank down and wished he was invisible. _I don't know him!_ He wanted to announce.

"I found the bodies of two of my close friends lying in the river. They looked as if they had gone down the falls. My cats are good swimmers…"

"Are you trying to accuse us?" hissed a thin gray tom whose tail was tightly entwined with the brown she-cat's tail, "We would never do a thing like that!"

"Maybe it was one of your friends…" voiced Shadow. Angry yowls rang throughout the clearing. "Thunder!" Shadow said sharply.

"Wha?" He was jerked out of his listening daze. Shadow had called his name? Why?

"We had a deal…" she meowed, looking at him with her piercing green eyes.

"Yes?" Thunder asked tentivly.

"And now, it's OVER!" _Ah, mousedung, I knew it couldn't last._

"What?" chorused his group, "Why?"

"It was a trick!" stormed a dark brown tabby, "You wanted to kill us!"

"No we didn't!" spat Down from his group of she-cats.

"Snakes killed two of our best hunters while they were trying to catch some prey," the tabby went on.

"How would we know about the snakes?" meowed Pebble loudly. The other cats started yowling their approval or disapproval.

"It's your territory!" mewed a young dark gray cat loudly. Shadow shot him a venomous glance.

"See! You admit that you were hunting on our territory!" Kite hissed.

"And you," the blue cat flicked his tail at the cats who smelled like fish, "took ours!"

"We only eat _fish_!" hissed one of them. Every cat started quarreling over different things. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Thunder saw it start. The same dark brown tabby, part of Shadow's group, leapt on the quick, thin, gray tom. They tussled; a dark swirl of claws and teeth emitting screeches and hisses. The wiry brown she-cat leapt in to tear the apart, but only aggravated the situation. Soon, almost every cat was locked in battle. Thunder watched as Down and Pierce looked stunned as the she-cats they were just chatting with turned on them and tried to rip their fur out. Thunder tried to pick out some cat he knew that was in trouble.

_There:_ Wing was being clawed by a huge black and white cat. He would go help her. _Wish me luck, Snow!_ He unsheathed his claws, narrowed his eyes, and leapt from his perch.

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Who will die? I have a poll on my profile. The ones who gets the least votes get the chop! Muhahaha! So vote! And review!


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry about the confusion last "chapter". We were _literally_ walking out the door. In fact, I recall that my parents, and a little blond-haired imp who happens to be my sister, were already sitting in the car as I was writing that. I didn't want you to be left hanging-ish so I warned you I'd be away for a bit. Thanks to Emma183, spottedfire123, and WarriorAddicted for reviewing. Thanks for all the kit names! Also thanks very much to VioletteRose for all of the reviews, and I would like to answer you question. You see, River and Wind have already appeared, if you look for them. Let's see... River is described as a silver long-haired tom with green eyes. I believe he was seen in chapters 9 and 13. Wind is a wiry brown she-cat, and is seen in chapter 13 also, with her mate, a gray and white tom. Sky has no description in the books, but when I think of him (or her, but I say Sky's a him) I think of blue. The sky is blue! (That's a good piece of wisdom right there.) But he's in some early chapter and in 13. You might want to go back and search for them, if you want. Also, all my characters have complex background stories that you don't know about! Hahahaha! Sky, I believe, is a young cat who does everything his mother tells him. He is just the showcase, but his mother controls the Clan. Isn't that cool? Anyway, VioletteRose, I do have a little background story where Shadow has a _thing_ for Thunder. I just have a strange mind, I guess. Anyway, you probably just want to read the battle. It will take about three chapters so that it's not one enormous chapter... blah blah... here we go...

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Thunder's muscles rippled as he landed squarely on the black and white tom's back. His mother shot him a look of gratitude and they, together, snapped at the tom's heels. Thunder took a chunk of fur out of the tom's side, but not before he nicked a cut in his mother's ear. Thunder bit down forcefully on his tail while Wing faked a leap over his side. Confused, the tom tumbled over and for a moment, his fluffy belly and neck were exposed. Thunder saw this and nipped at the neck. Catching hold of the fur, he tried to force his fangs down in the killing bite.

He couldn't.

He had always hated battles and fighting, but here he was. Fighting, and about to kill another cat. He looked into the tom's yellow eyes, which were blazing angry and frightened. Thunder knew that if he let the cat go, he would try and kill Thunder. But if he thought too long, another cat would tackle him. But, his problems were solved in a flash of gray.

Pebble pushed Thunder away from the cat with a well-dealt paw blow. _What? I thought we were on the same side!_

"Thunder, you bee-brain! Behind you!" She bit the neck of the black and white tom quickly; as easily as killing prey. He yelped with surprise, and soon the color of his eyes faded. Dead.

Thunder heeded Pebble's warning and spun around. She hadn't been fighting him at all, but just helping him accomplish something that she knew he couldn't do. He couldn't kill the cat.

Now, a pretty cream-colored she-cat with a wispy tail leapt at him. He ducked, and they took to circling. She lashed forwards, shifting her eyes from shoulder to his paws. Her claws scraped his fore-legs as he backed away. He shook himself and dodged to the left, but when she shied right, he flipped over and tore at her side, pulling out chunks of fur. She was extremely strong, and her fur was oily. His claws slid across it, not touching the skin. She bared her long teeth and bit him on one of his large white paws.

Pebble came to his rescue again. She screeched like a barn owl and tore a gash in the cream she-cat's stomach. The cat's life sank into the ground with her blood. Thunder raised his head to say thanks, but stopped.

"Than- Oh! Blood!"

Pebble's gray tabby pelt was clotted with sticky red blood.

"Don't worry." She grinned savagely. "_None_ of it is mine." Then Thunder realized that there was another dead cat behind Pebble, obvious clumps of gray fur stuck in his claws. As Pebble snarled and launched herself onto a thin tortoiseshell, Thunder shivered. _She's not the kind of cat you would want to meet on a moonless night._

He spotted Skunky wrestling ferociously with a huge, lumbering brown tom. Making snide remarks, similes to bears, and adding several insults concerning the tom's mother, Thunder could see that Skunky was trying to goad the brawny-but-brainless tom into getting angry and doing something stupid. Skunky didn't need Thunder's help, but Thunder could see someone who did.

Speckle was gasping for breath from the fight with the last cat she had battled. The light blue tom had almost torn out her throat, but it seemed he didn't have enough time. Locked in battle with the small wiry brown she-cat, he was busy.

Another cat, a very light golden tabby she-cat, was stalking up to Speckle. They were on top of the rock in the center. Speckle was on the edge. The cat had insane murder in her eyes, and Thunder could see where this was leading. Speckle wouldn't be able to put on a fight in her worn condition.

The trees started to spin above Thunder's head.

His lungs wouldn't take in air.

His feet seemed to move on their own, like in a dream.

He started to run across the mass of fighting cats, almost floating on top of the other cats. He dodged and weaved and tumbled to avoid unsheathed claws and slashing paws. Some cats even turned to watch the orange cat go faster than it was possible.

He heard his name being called, faintly. He ignored. All that mattered was that he had to save his sister. He remembered when he was a kit. When his third sister, a light golden tabby, had been taken by that crazy rouge. He remembered that horrible feeling that he couldn't help. It was the same now. He might not make it in time.

He was almost at the bottom of the rock. It seemed that the cats parted to make way for him, or maybe it was just his mind playing tricks. He snagged a claw-hold on the massive rock and hefted himself up. Scrambling up, his head peaked over the side. Waiting for him was the silver tom with green eyes.

"NO!" Thunder cried forcefully. _I have to save Speckle._ The tom tried to give him a shove off the rock, but Thunder used his strong hind legs to do an amazing back-flip over him.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" Thunder roared. The tom moved. Thunder dashed even faster towards Speckle, like his paws had sprouted little white wings. The golden tabby she-cat was there now, by her side, but Thunder was close by. He raced over. A voice barley penetrated his concentration, but he heard it. A warning directed to the light golden tabby she-cat.

"Light! Watch out for the orange tom behind you!"

_Light?_

_Light!_

He knew her, and so did Speckle. _No way._ But it was_._ They stared at her in disbelief. She looked back at them with eyes crazed with the fury of battle. Thunder was almost close to them, but still too far to do something. Speckle had only one chance now, the element of surprise. _Tell her, Speckle!_ He silently willed her; _Tell her that she's our long-lost sister!_

_

* * *

Muhahaha! Light! _And, wow. Pebble's a killing machine! Should Speckle die? If not her then someone else... poll on my site which cats shouldn't die in this battle. (And ignore the Whiskers option. I forgot that he wasn't going.) Review!


	15. Chapter 15

Hi everyone! Thanks to VioletteRose for reviewing! Thanks for catching that strange typo with the doub;e Thunders. I meant to say that if the Thunder let that cat go, the other cat would have tried to kill Thunder, even though Thunder had just let him go. You know? It's kind of hard to explian without getting confused.

I'm so sorry if I'm making anyone sad, OK? You know how you can't tickle yourself? Well, my writing doesn't make _me _sad. But Death is life. Did you know that 50% of feral cats are stillborns or die shortly after birth, and only 35% of feral cats live to adult-hood? The Erins really have their facts wrong, but Warriors would be too depressing to read otherwise.

I gave up on naming chapters. What should this one have been called? Anyway...

:::::

* * *

Speckle's quiet voice startled Thunder.

"Light." Light raised her claws in one movement, ready to slash. "I'm your sister, Speckle." The beautiful golden tabby kept her claws there, but her ears showed that she was listening. Thunder forced his way through the fighting cats. "And that's your brother, Thunder." Speckle flicked her tail towards Thunder. Light barely raised her head. Thunder was with them now, and finally, Light spoke.

"Don't come closer, dear _brother_, or our sister will be pushed off the edge."

"What?" He couldn't believe it. After all this time, _this_ was their reunion?

"What happened to you?" Speckle asked, "After that rouge took you away."

Light's eyes were unstable and flickering like fireflies.

"You mean Harold?" She flicked her tail, pointing out a dark tabby. Thunder noticed that she didn't take her gaze off Speckle and Thunder.

The dark tabby was the rouge from long ago. He killed Thunder's father. The stream of angry revenge in Thunder's head started to flow after moons of drought.

"He's my _mate_."

"Did you have _kits_?" Thunder asked.

"Two litters. All stillborns."

"…I'm sorry."

Light kept going, ignoring their sympathy.

"He didn't _take me away_…"

"Yes, he did!" cried Speckle, astonished.

"No, **you** _abandoned_ me!" Light snarled, forcefully pressing her claws against Speckle's golden throat. Her amber eyes glazed over with anger and madness. "You left me to die in the dark forest, and Harold saved me!"

_What?!?! She must have forgotten us in all this time. Her mate must have brainwashed her to think we were the evil ones and he was the one who was good._

"Light," he said quietly, "We didn't abandon you. I don't think you are remembering correctly." He shot a look at the dark tabby. The revenge stream in his head was flooding its banks. _Not only did this cat kill my father, _he thought_, but he has turned my sister away from us, and she's completely insane!_ He looked back at Light to see her breathing heavily as she tried to recall her kit-hood.

"I'm remembering it fine," she lied. "You left me to die. Now I shall do the same." She twitched her ears happily, and before Thunder could stop her…

With a shove of a golden tabby paw, Speckle went tumbling over the edge of the rock. That look in her eyes. Sadness... and what else? Regret?

Thunder dived forwards and barely touched her golden white-speckled paw and it slipped away.

…

…

_Crunch._

.

* * *

_"What's that tree, Father?" Speckle asked._

_Frost twitched his tail._

_"A pear tree, I think."_

_"Pears?" Leaf mewed, fluffing up her downy fur as if the pears would jump down and attack her._

_"You can eat them..."_

_"I want one!" squealed Thunder._

_Wing's eyes shone with happiness as she watched her family. She didn't know that in only a few days the rouge would come back, kill her mate, drive them out of their home, and steal her favorite kit. Of course, no one knew._

_Thunder stared up at the glowing branches. The pears were ripe and golden-green. The trunk of the tree was smooth, and the leaves were bright and fluorescent green. The wind rustled the branches. So much mystery was wrapped up in that tree, so much adventure._

_Frost dug his claws into the bark, scrambling up the tree. He shimmied along a large branch, causing the kits to shriek in excitement. At the end, balancing precariously, He used his teeth to snap off a twig with some small pears on it._

_He leaped down, yowling, "Watch out below!", and landing softly on his feet._

_There were four pears on the twig. One for each kit. They scrambled to get the fruit._

_"Whoa!" meowed their mother with quiet amusement, wrapping her tail around her fluffy kits, "Wait your turn!"_

_Wing let Light have the first pick. She rolled the ripest pear, one with amazing golden, juicy skin, off to the side. Light was the prettiest kit, the funniest kit, the friendliest kit, the most playful kit, the nicest kit, and altogether the most likable kit. No wonder she was slightly spoiled._

_The other kits each took one, squealing and fighting over the prettiest pears. But the best-looking one of them all was Light's._

_They each took bites of the crisp fruits they had between their paws. They weren't suppose to be eating hard food yet; they weren't weaned from their mother yet. But just one bite couldn't hurt._

_"Yuck!" Thunder leapt to his feet. "That tastes gross!"_

_Their father let out a mreow of laughter. "It's fruit, young Thunder. Meat tastes better."_

_"Milk tastes better," Leaf corrected him._

_Light took a bite. _

Crunch.

_She was staring at her pear. The prettiest pear. Wing came over._

_"What's wrong?"_

_Light pushed the golden pear over. The inside was black and rotting._

* * *

The golden pear, rotting on the inside.

The golden cat...

* * *

.

Crunch.

It seemed to echo.

.

No.

"She might not be dead. I pushed her off instead of cutting her throat. You left me to die; you didn't kill me yourselves. I did the same. She might not be dead."

No.

Speckle. Might. Not. Be. Dead. Thunder's brain processed the words. She. May. Be. Alive. But something told him that he might be wrong. _I'm not wrong! She's alive!_ He yowled at himself.

He believed it. _Of course. I wasn't that far of a drop. She fell on a cat, which cushioned her fall. She is alive._

He believed it.

But now Light's eyes were trained on him. She stared at him, her gaze unfocused.

He wanted to kill her. But as he thought this, a dark tabby pelt flashed in his vision. 'Harold'. It wasn't Light's fault, it was all his. He had made his sister this way. He was the one to blame. The stream in his mind burst its banks. The river started to flow red. It was _he_ that Thunder had to kill.

He turned. He found himself under the hole that the four oak trees made. The moon shone down, and wispy little flakes settled on his hot pelt. They melted.

The moon was almost high above. The night was moving on. The air was full of the reek of blood and clawfuls of fur. Thunder needed to kill.

He scarcely noticed Shadow fighting four grown cats at the same time, one of them her own mother. He didn't see his mother and Kite fighting side by side, friends to the end. He didn't hear the angry yowls of Pebble as she was piled on by a half dozen young cats, fighting like a tiger. He only just barley scented Pierce's stench, close by. It smelled like crowfood.

No.

Ignore it.

He padded over to the dark tabby. He was fighting another cat. Thunder pushed the cat away. He jumped on the tabby. He could feel Light's eyes on his neck. He rolled with the tabby, scratching and nipping. But no one could beat Thunder.

He bit the throat, and the mad amber eyes closed for the last time.

Thunder felt no remorse. He felt nothing.

But then he felt claws on his back. Golden tabby paws with long, tooth-like claws.

"You killed Harold!" Light screeched. "I loved him!"

Thunder shook her off. He didn't want to hurt her.

She persisted. Claws. Teeth. Thunder couldn't think anymore. He was tired of fighting.

Tired of all the death.

But, of course, Speckle wasn't dead. Of course not. What a silly idea. And neither was Pierce. Neither was Pebble. They were just joking, pretending to be dead. Silly.

Maybe he needed a break. Maybe he needed Light to end it all. She wouldn't hesitate, he was sure. Would it hurt? Probably. But not more than it would seeing Speckle's body. But she wasn't dead.

He couldn't think.

His mind was made of fragments.

A voice…

_Snow._

No.

_I need it to all be gone._

The ground. Red. No!

_Do you want our kits to grow up fatherless?_

Stop it.

_Then you must kill her._

I can't.

Golden tabby paws. So sweet, so gentle. Light.

_Hurry. The teeth._

Snow.

_Golden Light. Save me._

The light would end it.

Snow.

Kits.

No…

_Yes._

…Yes.

In one massive movement, Thunder reared up. Light had been about to bite his throat. He came down.

_Crack._

The spine was broken. He felt like his heart had gone the same way.

"Goodbye, sister."

_A sister for a sister._

But that equals two… gone.

_I know._

No. Just one. Speckle is alive.

_Wrong._

No!

_Look._

Somehow Thunder had gotten off the boulder. Somehow he had climbed down. Or maybe he was dead, and Speckle was here, with him. But his heart still beat, and with each beat it spoke a hopeful word. _Alive._ Yet there she was. _Alive_. Lying there. _Alive…_ She didn't look that good. _Alive? _Wrong angles. Wrong shape. _Alive…?_

The fighting around him had risen to a terrible bloodthirsty tempo. It was nothing that Thunder wanted to hear. He didn't listen to the lions roaring for prey.

The flakes came down from the sky, or shaken from the trees. They drifted down lazily.

When they landed on Thunder's pelt they gently melted into wet rain.

When they landed on Speckle's pelt, they didn't.

* * *

:::::

No. Oh, no... Keep your chin up. That was definitely the darkest of all the chapters I have written or will write. It seems when something awful happens, your brain goes into shock and you can't think. I tried that out.

I have a question for those of you who know more about than me... how do you check how many people have viewed your story? I think you can do that somehow...

By the way, this is most likely the last time that I will write one chapter per day. I have camp again, then I'm pretty busy. The writing rate will really slow down. Look for my stuff! See you "soon"! (And... review!)


	16. Chapter 16

I'm back! I 'lied' last chapter saying that I wouldn't be able to update in a while. I had one more chapter that I could secretly put up...

AAHHH! **OMS, OGSC, thank you VioletteRose!** You are the _best_! I got to my _traffic _thingie majiger and it's so cool!!! I got 1065 hits for this sorry and I'm so happy!!! WOOHOO!!! Thanks also to Tanglestar and starryskywishes235 for reviewing! You people are so awesome!

Anyway... back to Thunder's Story:

* * *

Thunder was tired. So tired.

Speckle was dead. Light was dead. So was Pierce. And he could see Pebble's maimed body lying on the ground across the clearing. She had put up a good fight. She must have killed at least half-dozen cats before she went down.

Poor Down, every single piece of his family was gone.

Thunder was tired. He feebly licked his wounds. The fights around him were drawing to a close. The cats were either dead, unconscious, injured, or to tired to move. The snow fell over the bodies of the fallen and the living.

Thunder crawled over to Speckle's body and laid down beside golden pelt with white flecks was cold. The freezing ground had sucked the warmth out of her.

Thunder thought about his kits, warm with their mother in the nursing den.

He closed his eyes. His head swam.

Darkness overtook him.

A cold touch to the nose woke him. But wasn't snow…

It wasn't anything, but Thunder could see the other cats around him waking also. Except for the ones who weren't able to wake up.

He found that Rust had laid down near him. He hadn't noticed that she was fighting close by. She looked at him with sadness in her yellow eyes. But it was easier for her to deal with this; she only had one cat she really cared about, and that cat was in the nursing den.

For Thunder; he was suppose to take care of these cats! If they died, did that mean that he had failed? He didn't want to think about it.

He looked at the sky. The clouds had pushed away and the snow was no longer falling. The trees above were covered in thick white drifts, but the ground below was barely touched by the flakes.

The sky was beautiful. The stars shone like a million fireflies, and the moon was white as the snow. How did he never notice before how wonderful the stars were?

He hurt all over, but nothing hurt him more than the deaths.

A bright light made Thunder look back down. Something strange was happening around him. Speckle's pelt seemed to be glowing. He buired his nose in the fur, then pulled back. Everywhere, the bodies of the slain were glowing with an eire light. They seemed to sparkle and shine just like the stars in the sky. Then, shapes drew out from the bodies.

A collective gasp went around the living cats. Before them and with them stood images of the dead cats. Their loved ones, their friends, their enimies, each and every cat that had perished was standing before their own bodies and shimmering with stars.

Thunder stared at Speckle. She looked at him with a sad, understanding look. Then she turned and walked towards the rock in the center.

"Come back," he whispered.

All around him, star-lit shapes were moving like in a dream towards the rock. They jumped gracefully up, hardly touching the boulder with their soft paws and gentle , half of the star cats were standing atop the rock. The other half spread out on a ring around the bottom of it.

Thunder saw a thick gray tail with a lighter tip twitch in of the mass of starry cats. They all had stars in their fur, so it was harder to tell them apart, but he was pretty sure that that was Pierce. Pebble was sitting proudly, ready to tell the world about how she was the best fighter at the battle. Speckle sat calmly. Thunder couldn't see Light anywhere. But his heart sank to his paws when he spotted Kite.

What will Snow do? I hope this isn't to much of a shock…

He dug his claws into the ground as if to hold himself there. _What's happening?_

Then, all as one, the starry cats spoke:

"Unite or die."

The sound was massive; breaking the silence and crashing over the ears of the living. And then, Thunder saw visions.

* * *

A young kit pranced through the woods. It was mostly white with orange ears and golden amber eyes. It looked like Snow. Then, before Thunder's eyes, a hawk swooped down and caught the kit in it's talons. Other cats were in the area, and watching, but made no move to help. The kit struggled and cried ou, but soon it was lost into the blue sky.

_No! My kit!_

Another kit came into view. Cute and fuzzy, it was a ginger tabby. It was nestled in the stomach of Snow. Thunder sighed with longing and loss. They were under a little tree. Then he heard the yowls, and the hisses, and the spitting. Cats roared and attacked the mother and her kit. When the backed away, the two loved cats were broken and bleeding on the ground. Their blood was seeping into the dirt. Snow's green eyes stared at him blankly.

_Snow! NO!_

His cry could be heard all around the still forest. Thunder tried to help, but he couldn't move.

He saw the remains of a battle. It was gory. He stared in horror as he recognized the mangled bodies of Down, Rust, and even little Sting. Skunky was even worse; Thunder only realized who he was because of the color of his fur.

Thunder didn't even say a word, just let out a long, drawn-out yowl of pain.

Then a wave. The river near the edge of Thunder's territory. The waves crashed on the shore. Harsh waves. _But a river doesn't have waves_… But it wasn't a river anymore. It was more like a lake, a stormy lake. In the middle there was a pile of rocks. Cats were fighting on top of them. Then, one by one, they fell into the water. Red started to seep around the river, growing in size until the river was made of sticky blood. It started to flood its banks, coming towards Thunder. He ran.

The blood water rushed through the trees all around. The stench was horrible. He could see it raging on either side of him, and could see nothing ahead of him. The forest was darker than a moon-less night. He saw a pear tree up ahead, and clawed his way up it. The water rushed by beneath him, creating an ocean of blood with trees sticking out.

Finally, it washed away. Thunder could see something at the bottom of the tree. He climbed down, feeling sick at the sight and stench of blood-soaked moss and the red dripping plants. He could barely see in the complete darkness, but just enough. He felt his heart being torn out.

Lying at the bottom of the tree were his mother and his only sister left. Wing and Leaf had their pelts torn open by the claws of other cats.

_Not my only family!_

He found himself shuddering violently. He closed his eyes to relieve himself from looking at the pain-indecing images.

_Just a dream. Just a dream. _He told himself, _Just a dream._

Then he realized what it was.

_Just a vision. Stop, it's just a vision._

"This is our future." Many voices said together. It was the spirits. "Do you want to live like this? _Unite or die_."

He buried his head in Leaf's pelt, and his vision became lighter and lighter, until it faded away all together.

* * *

He found himself with his nose buried in his other sister's fur.

The star-lit cats were still there.

The words echoed in his head…

Unite or die.

But who would unite the forest? He thought about it, and the answer was clear. He could. Before he could stand, though, someone else did.

A black cat rose to her feet. Shadow was still alive. _No surprise there. She must be the best fighter in the forest. Maybe except for Pebble._

"My name is Shadow," she meowed smoothly, "How should we unite, unless we have a leader? I can hunt in the depths of the darkest night. Let Shadow rule the forest!"

"And you would lead us into darkness, too!" It was the silver long-haired tom with green eyes. "I am River! I move through the forest along secret paths and hidden places. It is River, not Shadow, who should unite the forest!"

"The forest is more than River and Shadow," growled the wiry brown she-cat. A thin gray and white tabby tom helped her to her feet. "Wind alone reaches its distant corners. I am as fast as the wind that blows from the high moors. _I_ should be ruler."

Thunder made to stand up, but was cut off with a sharp yowl from behind him.

"What good will that do?" called the young blue cat known as Sky. "I can reach the top of the forest with my leaping. I am Sky! With me as your leader, we will fly like birds!"

Thunder took a deep breath and met Rust's eyes. She nodded. This was his moment to shine. He could never let Shadow or the others rule. It had to be him.

He rose in all of his fiery orange glory and chose his words wisely.

"The higher we fly, the farther we will fall!" His amber eyes flashed. "What good is any of that compared to my strength and skill at hunting? If any cat was born to rule, it is_ I_."

* * *

To be continued... Hahaha the _end_ of that chapter was easy... All I had to do was copy down the words from the Guide book. That's not really copying, though, so I'm not in trouble. I just learned that the Erins are planning to write a book called Early Clan Days, coming out in 2011. It's about Thunder, Wind, Shadow, and River! (And I guess Sky?) I wonder if it will be anything like my story.

_This_ will probably be my last chapter in a while. Like I said last chapter... but I think I'm more sure. Please review!


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you to VioletteRose and Bane Wolfblood for reviewing. You are awesome! So, I pick up where I left off. Sorry that I haven't been updating ion a while. It's hard to write when you are really busy. This chapter was also easy, because a lot of it is from Secrets of the Clans.

Here you go:

* * *

Furious yowling broke out beneath the four trees. Thunder found himself roaring and meowing nasty things. He was so angry. _He_ should be leader, not any of those _others_!

A sudden darkness settled like a cold blanket of snow. The cats fell silent, and glanced up at the sky. Rolling black clouds had been blown in and covered the full moon's pearly glow. Thunder shivered and felt fear creep under his fur. All of the spirits vanished in the darkness.

Then one, a gray tabby, stepped forwards. Thunder felt a surge of ghostly happiness when he realized that it was Pebble. Her coat shone, unscarred and sparkling with stars. Her face, meanwhile, was contorted in anger.

"You all are as foolish of ducks!" she yowled.

_Ahh…still the same old Pebble._

"Can't you think beyond yourselves for one moment? Think of your kits!"

Thunder thought about the kits he had seen in the visions. He wondered how Snow was doing. He wondered if she was thinking about him.

He felt ashamed that he had been greedy in trying to be leader of all the cats.

"The forest is big enough to feed all your families and many more," she meowed. "You must find other cats like you, choose a home in the forest, and set down borders."

Thunder took a deep breath as the dark clouds were pushed away. The star-lit cats re-appeared. A white tom stepped forward, the brave father of the white cat family that lived near Thunder's group.

"If you do this," he meowed, "we will reward you with eight more lives, so that you may lead your clan for many moons to come."

Thunder was amazed. _Eight more lives?_ Did that mean you could die eight times, each one coming back to life? He suddenly felt a great urge to become leader. He wanted to live nine lives! He wanted that really badly. He would do _anything_…

His eyes met Rust's again. Her yellow eyes burnt holes in his amber ones. She was watching him with a mixture of anger and pity. _She_ knew what _he _was thinking. Thunder could tell what _she_ was thinking. And what would Snow say if _she_ knew what he was thinking? He felt ashamed again. He pushed his hopes and wishes and 'devious thoughts' to the bottom of his mind and turned back to the circle of cats.

A slender tortoiseshell stepped delicately forwards.

"We will watch over you from Silverpelt," she promised. Thunder followed her gaze to the thick band of stars spanning the sky like a bridge. "We will visit you in your dreams and guide you on journeys."

_Visit me in dreams…_ Thunder thought, _I'll be able to see Speckle again!_ His heart felt heavy and broken when he thought of all the dead cats, but now he felt a glimmer of hope.

"Once a month," meowed the white tom, "at the full moon, you will gather together here, between the four great oak trees, for a night of truce. You will see us above you in Silverpelt and know we are watching. And if blood is spilled on those nights, you know we are angry.

"You will be warriors!" yowled Pebble from the high rock, her short fur standing on end.

Thunder bowed his head, humbled.

"From now on," meowed a young cream-colored tabby, "Your hearts will be filled with courage and nobility, and if you must fight, it will be not for greed, but for honor and justice."

There was silence. Thunder thought about it. To not fight constantly, to have your own territory, to be organized, to lead a group of cats… A good way of living. And so he nodded and voiced his opinion.

"This is wise advice. I believe we can choose our territories and lay down borders fairly, in peace." The last words rang in his head. It was the last thing that he had promised Shadow before this meeting. But it hadn't worked out. What if it didn't work out this time? What if the cats didn't listen to him or the others, and live reverted back to the fighting and starving?

But one by one, cats murmured their agreement. Then each got up and started to pad out, dragging bodies behind them or by themselves. Some stayed behind, mourning or thinking, but Thunder whispered to cats who passed him.

"Just come to me if you want. If you hunt mice, if you live in the forest, if you feel at home in the trees, come to me. We are at the old dead tree with the owl in it. Find us, or follow me. My group will protect you if you join."

He could see the other four cats whispering to the cats too. The news of where to meet passed quickly through the crowd, and Thunder was pleased to see cats turn his way and sort of twitch their ears in promise.

But now, he had to go tend to something more important. He had to go back and see his kits.

He started to leave, pulling Speckle's body behind him. Where was Leaf? She would be running over as soon as she saw her sister's body, but she wasn't.

He looked around, his heart beating like a rabbit's. Leaf was no where to be seen. Did she die? But then he would have seen her body and her star-lit shape. How could such a large cat go missing? Thunder had noticed that he was the largest surviving cat, but he knew that Leaf was bigger. Where was she?

He saw Down ahead, carrying his brother. Rust had Pebble over her back, with help from Skunky. Skunky looked funny… He was missing an eye, and an ear was torn off. A deep scratch had torn off both, but it was cleaner than Thunder realized. There was a flow of blood, but someone had already put spider webs on the scar.

But there was no way that either could be saved. Skunky would be blind and deaf on one side forever.

Strangely enough, he still was putting on his usual show, goofing off to make everyone happy. But Skunky would know where Leaf was! He was her mate, after all. And so Leaf was alive, or Skunky would be mourning her. Or maybe he didn't know where she was.

Chip, Skunky's mother, was pulling Kite back. Thunder noticed with a pang that no one was caring for Light. He buried his head in her fur, even though she had killed Speckle. She was still his sister, and he could try to forgive her. To be kind, he laid her mate's body next to hers and left them there, side by side. Neither deserved it, but he couldn't help it.

Some other cat would pick them up, or a TwoLeg might. He wondered if they would still be there next full moon when they came back for a Gathering. Hopefully not.

He noticed some cats following him. A few white cats from that white cat family, a few young ones, old ones, scarred ones, all sorts of cats were following him and the other four as they parted ways. They were to make borders, after they got back home.

Now, he half-ran up to Skunky, pulling Speckle behind him. He needed to know where Leaf was, and if Skunky would be OK.

And he needed to get back to his camp. He wanted to see Snow and his kits.

* * *

Where did Leaf go? What should Thunder's kit's names be? We have a white and orange kit, a ginger tabby, and a little mostly white kit with light ginger tabby 'socks' ears, and tail. I want names and genders, please! (Thank you to all who have already put in names and descriptions.) By the way, if you review, you might get one of the new cats in ThunderClan named after you! For example… VioletteRose = Rose_______.


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks to VioletteRose, Bane WolfBlood, Spottedfire123, and Portland Writer for reviewing! Portland Writer, I though that you had abandoned my story! I'm glad you started reviewing again. And, I can put the Flower part in but not the Rain part because that would be too much like the original Rain and I don't want people to get confused. Sorry.

Spottedfire, I will use your name but I can't give you blue eyes because it is impossible for any cat that is not white or siamese to have blue eyes. Look it up. It's true. The Erins are _horrible_ at cat genetics, if you haven't noticed, so _never_ use Warriors for reference. And, Spottedfire, you are very close at guessing about the naming of the kits, but you'll have to see what I do...

Remember, reviewers either get a new cat named after their username or after a cat they made up. (I have about 12 new cats, but I can always add you as a character later in the story.) Bane WolfBlood, which part of your name do you want me to use for a cat? And yes, VioletteRose, I did mean to make Thunder seem greedy. He seemed to perfect to me, and I know that no cat is perfect. Anyway... wouldn't _you_ want 9 lives? I would!

* * *

"Where is Leaf?" Thunder asked Skunky urgently, trying not to wince at the sight of his mauled face. Skunky just purred with amusement.

"Hah! You really thought that Leaf would stay when cats started fighting?"

"…Right." Leaf _hates_ fighting like she hates… prey escaping. It was an unnecessary thing that just added more hurt in the end. But where did she run off to?

"She told me that she had to go feed Sting as soon as the first claw-swipe happened, and took off like a rabbit back to home. I told her that was fine. You know Leaf. If she had tried to fight, she would be on my back right now. Dead."

That was also right. Leaf wouldn't hurt a moth, unless she meant to eat it, and the other cats would find her easy prey.

"Er… How's your eye and ear?"

Skunky's remaining yellow eye twinkled.

"Gone."

"…I mean, are you OK?"

"You _care_ about _me_? I'm amazed!" Skunky meowed with a twitch of the tail.

"…I guess you're OK…"

Skunky always made him feel stupid, but now Thunder was just relieved that he wasn't dying.

"No, really," Skunky meowed with all seriousness, "I'm just going to half to do with half. I hope Leaf still likes me. But I'll only be able to hear half of what she's saying. But that's not a bad thing, necessarily." His eye twinkled. "I'll only hear the good half."

Thunder groaned in his head. This cat could joke even when almost half of his group was dead! _I guess he's just happy Leaf went home._

Thunder's paws crunched in the snow. He lifted Speckle's body so that it wouldn't get caught or wet in the snow.

The sun was rising in a pink, pearly glow. thunder could see the dark owl flying back to its tree, where its family might be waiting. Like Snow.

The full moon was dipping down behind the horizon, and Silverpelt was hardly a twinkle in the sky. Thunder felt strange; there were cats watching him from above?

They were almost back. His heart leapt in joy for the new life he would see soon, his kits. He dashed into the clearing, laid Speckle down peacefully, and almost broke into the nursing den in his hurry. He passed Leaf and Sting, anxiously looking over Skunky's wounds and mourning Leaf.

But he passed quickly and without hesitation.

"New father," he could hear the new cats muttering. But he didn't care what they thought.

He pushed away the ferns with his muzzle and saw his favorite green-eyed cat.

Snow looked up in a graceful, lovely movement. Her eyes shone with happiness when she saw Thunder, standing there, breathless and panting.

"Come and see your kits," she said softly. He bent down and gazed lovingly at the three kits nestled in the crook of her belly, kneading her stomach with their little paws as they nursed. Two of the kit's eyes weren't open yet, but their ears were twitching. The third, the second she-cat, had wide golden-amber eyes. Thunder tried not to notice a small, cold white tom kit lying off to the side. There was almost one still-born in every littler.

As Thunder leaned down to nuzzle the living kits, Snow whispered in his ear;

"Thank you for not dying."

"Thank _you_ for making me go. I'm now the leader of a group of Warriors."

"I'm so proud of you. But you need those scratches tended to."

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"I do worry."

Chip came in, bustling with activity.

"Out of the way for the new mother!" she scolded, "She needs her rest!"

"But I'm her mate and the kits' father!" Thunder cried.

"That's no excuse. Get out."

"What?! Just wait a moment," Thunder protested. Then he leaned back down to rest his head on Snow's. Chip looked at them, sighed, and left. _Just wait until she sees her son's face! She won't bother with Snow then!_

"What are they named?" he asked Snow.

"Well," she replied gently, "I thought that the big orange and white she-cat should be named Honey…" Thunder agreed. Those large, liquid-amber eyes were stunning. "And the ginger tom's name should be Robin." Thunder nodded his wide orange head.

"What about the white she-cat with the light ginger?"

"I thought I'd let you name one."

He took a deep breath. "…Snow… I think that we should name her Kite, after your mother."

Snow understood immediately. She seemed to deflate with a sad heart-breaking sigh.

"Yes," she replied with a soft whimper, "That's a wonderful name." Then, after a pause, she asked, "Who else?"

"Speckle."

"Oh, Thunder, I'm so sorry."

He didn't mention his other sister, Light. He never wanted to think about her again.

"Pierce died too," he whispered, his voice choking up so much that he found it hard to talk. Snow let him slide down into a position next to her pelt. The kits sensed their parents' sadness and fidgeted with discomfort. Honey even whimpered to show her sympathy.

"Pebble put up an amazing fight," Thunder said softly, "But there are only so many lives you can take without being punished for it. She's probably happier in StarClan, where she can boss around Ash, anyway."

"StarClan?"

"Oh, Snow, it was amazing!" he breathed, "All the dead cats came back!"

"Even Rain?"

He could tell she was thinking of Rain and Kite, and almost didn't have the heart to tell her that he hadn't seen Rain with the starry cats. But he had to.

"I didn't see him, I'm sorry."

She nodded numbly. He wasn't sure she believed him. But she had to!

"You believe me, right?"

She sighed and shifted. The sleeping kits cried out.

"Thunder, I'm not sure what I can believe anymore, or who. I know you aren't just making this up… but I'll have to think about it."

He licked her ear and stood up.

"I have to go 'lead' now."

"What did the star cats tell you about it?"

"Nothing at all."

"Well then, good luck!"

"Thanks."

He padded out of the den. This was going to be new. A group of cats, living together? _I mean, this is what we did before, but we didn't really… 'Work together'._

The dens had been far apart, and each couple, or family, had their own. They helped each other out, for wounds, and most times they fought together, but Thunder and his gang were as close as family, if not family. Would it work out for cats who he didn't even know? Would they have to feed each other? Before, his cats had fed just their own families, and the older cats would have to either ask someone for help, or hunt on their own.

This was going to be difficult. This was going to be different. This was going to be very, very, very new.

And as Thunder gazed at the fifteen-or-so new cats sitting at the base, tending to their wounds and the dead, an odd, random thought hit his mind.

_We are defiantly going to need a new camp._

* * *

Which will be ThunderClan camp! Isn't it funny that somehow, (or as the Erins put it) all the cats knew that they had to change their names, live close together, establish dens, and make a fresh-kill pile? I'm going to have StarClan send Thunder a dream...

_AND_... a **HUGE** question...

The adult cats of Thunder's group (Leaf, Wing, Snow, Whiskers, Down, and Rust) all need Warrior-like names! I already have a few ideas, but I really want to see your ideas! Next chapter is the deadline to get your new cats in, and the new names for Thunder's gang cats.

Please tell me what you thought, even if it isn't positive! I'd like some advice, as I'm not the greatest writer. Anything I can improve? Anything you loved? If I spent _hours _and_ hours_ making this story, can't you at least spend a few _seconds_ writing a few words? (Haha now I make you feel guilty!) **REVIEW**... do I have to beg? Nah, I won't stoop that far. I think I've stressed my point enough. Goodbye.


	19. Chapter 19

OK, so I have almost all of my reviewer's names and I'm ready to roll! Except…

I don't know all of your genders. I know that almost all of you are female like me, but I don't really know about Tanglestar and Flamestreak. (Sorry if you are girls, but you have no info on your profile or in your stories. Can you tell me in a review? I'll stick you in my story later as kits or loners.)

So, I will be using _half _of you as new cats, and the rest will become kits later in the story. All you have to do is review and I will try to use your name (And whatever else you really want) in my story sometime! Unique characters are hard to make up, so it might actually help. Also, tell me if you like-like any characters already in the story and I might make them your future mate… But not cats that already have a mate! (AKA Thunder, Snow, Skunky, or Leaf.) But if you like Down or are interested in older cats... But I might even have given you a new made-up cat in this chapter.

Anyway, sorry about not updating. School starts in three days and I never have any time off. This chappie will be short; I'm only introducing the new characters. Since school is starting, the chapters will become shorter so that I can keep the same schedule updating. Sorry, but I'd rather have a bunch of short chapters than just a few long ones.

* * *

"Hello! My name is Thunder. I am pleased to see how many of you came. Please intoduce yourselves."

More than half the day had been used up tending to wounds, mourning over dead, burying the bodies, and getting used to the new surroundings. Now, finally, the cats sat in a circle and were ready to talk. There were eleven new cats.

"Hi," a pretty calico she-cat meowed nervously. "I'm Kitty." Her TwoLeg collar had no bells, Thunder was glad of that. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to hunt . They would have to get rid of it soon.

"A kittypet." Thunder heard a thin brown tom mutter. Thunder frowned. How many kittypets were there? He wondered if they would actually do any good. But, the kittypets who wanted to join him _must_ be good, because they survived the battle.

"And I'm Charcoal & Flame!" A young tortoiseshell meowed happily. "I'm Kitty's sister! And I named myself… I couldn't decide between Charcoal or Flame, so I used both!" She wagged her tail with excitement.

"Are you a kittypet too?" The thin brown tom snarled.

"Well, I was, but I ran away."

"Yes," her sister meowed quietly. "She lived with me. Then when she left, I waited a a few more moons before I couldn't stand it anymore and I followed her into the forest."

The thin brown tom grumbled a bit. "I'm Blue." He opened his eyes wide so everyone could see the strange blue color. "And I'm one of Wind's sons."

Murmurs were heard throughout the cats.

"Why did you not join her group?" Thunder asked him.

"My mother and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye."

"Well, just because you are her son doesn't mean you get any special treatment in my group. Everyone starts off the same."

"I'm Wolfsbane," a little she-cat meowed. Her black pelt made Thunder shiver, thinking of Shadow. But this cat had amber eyes, and a more slender body. Also, she was many moons younger. Thunder wasn't sure that the cat would know exactly how to hunt and fight.

A little cough turned their heads. All eyes looked to the strangest tom Thunder had ever seen. He was only a little older than Wolfsbane, but was pure white. Then Thunder's eyes were draw to his paws. Each paw was a different color. One ginger tabby, one brown, one black, and one light gray.

"My name is Fourpaws," he said in a far-away, dreamy voice. "And this is my friend Max. I am not a kittypet, but came from far away where the water touches the sky." He bobbed his head left and then right when he mewed 'water' and 'sky'. "Yet, my friend Max is a former kittypet. Please be kind to him."

A large, young, black and gray tabby tom was stretched out on the ground next to him. He was sleeping, because his wounds were large. The cats nodded with respect.

"My name Fluffy," A large, long-haired white tom meowed with a strange, thick, guttural accent. A few cats snickered. "Oh, you may very vell sink Fluffy is funny name, but Fluffy sink not." He unsheathed his claws and grunted. "Fluffy have no hesitashion to gut you open." The cats immediately quieted down, eyes wide. "This be Ms. Muffin," Fluffy wagged his long, feathery tail at a brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly, legs, and face. "Zee is mine _lovely_ traveling companion."

"Thank you, Fluffy," Ms. Muffin meowed, ducking her head. Her voice was sweet and musical.

"Another kittypet," Blue sniffed. "I'm not sure if I want to join your group any more."

"You got that right," a older dark brown tabby tom with large muscles growled, "I'm Ranger, and if you can't hunt or fight I'm sure that our new leader will kick you out." He looked at Thunder as if Thunder would back

"Uh… I don't think so…" Thunder meowed, narrowing his eyebrows.

"I'm Smoke," a skinny she-cat mumbled, shuffling her gray paws.

"You need to eat more," Leaf meowed loudly from where she was feeding Sting across the clearing.

"I think we all do," Thunder murmured, looking at the thin, gaunt cats who sat before him and then down a his own belly. He could see his ribs.

Suddenly, a noise was heard outside camp. A pale cream-colored tabby she-cat ran panting into the circle. "Am… I… late?" she gasped. "I'm Rose. I'm sorry, I was trying to choose between here and Sky's group."

"Greetings. Glad you chose here. Thank you."

"Why are you late, Rose?" Fourpaws asked in that strange dreamy voice. He wasn't even facing her.

Rose sank down to her paws and looked at him like he has just started to stand on his head and yodel.

The other cats started a quiet discussion.

"Is that everyone?" Thunder wondered to himself. He decided that it was. The clearing was very crowded. They would definitely need a new spot to live.

Then he got up, let his old cats mingle with the new ones, and padded back into the brush to visit his kits and mate.

* * *

The characters based on reviewers:

WarriorsAddict: Kitty

Bane WolfBlood: Wolfsbane (Apprentice aged, but not that I think you are young or something…)

Spottedfire123: Charcoal & Flame

VioletteRose: Rose

Portland Writer: Smokey

Starryskywishes253: Miss Muffin

If you don't like what I did for you, too bad. But tell me what you thought. And other reviewers, don't be offended, please. I might not have known your gender, what you wanted to be called, or you might not have reviewed in a long time. Just review and I'll try to put you in as a kit or something… And sorry if you don't like other reviewers that I make you siblings with, or parents to.

And sorry to Emma and Sandyangel, I didn't even realize about your reviews until I checked the numbers at the end of Starryskywishes's name.

Okay, what did you think? I know there are about 30 constant readers of this story out there, so how come only a few review? And remember other reviewers… You can tell me who you want your cat's mate to be, reviewers, and a bunch of other stuff. I'm getting tired of talking about this, so just read the top of the page again.

I need full names for the old warriors and new warriors, and a bunch of other random stuff. Just re-read old chapter headings to find out what you forgot. I'm so tired right now, and I don't feel like putting it all in myself. That's right. I'm kinda lazy sometimes.

And, I wrote a one-chapter very silly stupid humor story about Brambleclaw (And some Berrynose). Except it's not that insane. There are no TwoLeg things, or stuff like that. _Please _R&R it. It's called Catmint.

Don't be mad (after you read it) that I spent my precious Thunder's Story writing time on that silly thing. I just needed a break from all the tough, serious work in this story. (And I got writers block for TwoLeg Time, which is usually my humor escape…)


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you to my reviewers and readers. You are awesome. I have a question; should I start naming chapters again?

* * *

Thunder laid down his head on his large white paws. How would he know what to do? Was there going to be some kind of guide, or a signal?

He shook snow out of his thick orange pelt for the hundredth time that night.

He thought about the new cats, and the old ones. Then, he stopped thinking, because his heavy eyelids slipped shut, despite his forced jerks awake. Even though he had tried to stay alert on his first night as leader, he fell asleep.

A strong scent, like cool wet moss, drifted to his nostrils. Mist curled around his body as he padded through a strange place in his dream. The ground was covered in soft grass so unlike the hard, freezing, snow-covered ground Thunder walked on in real life. But the place had a strange feel to it, not exactly like the chaotic and wacky dreams he usually had.

"Hello?" he called loudly. "What's going on?"

His voice echoed back. "On… on… on…"

A sweet,dusty smell alerted him to another cat's presence. He knew that smell. It belonged to the cat that had been born by his side and had died by his side.

A golden white-flecked she-cat broke with grace through the haze. Her fur shone with thousands of stars, and her eyes twinkled with a shine that had been rare to see, when she was living.

"Speckle? Is that really you?" Thunder asked, pressing up against her. He already knew the answer to his question. If it looked like Speckle, smelled like Speckle, and acted like Speckle, it was his golden sister. Except that while she "Can you help me? I'm so lost."

"Yes," she meowed. "I will instruct you in what to do, but no further. We StarClan cats cannot be by your side all the time. We will send you messages as dreams, and signs cloaked in nature's presence, but tonight is the only night where you and I can have a full conversation." She slid away from him, her paws barely touching the silver grass coated ground.

He stood there, stunned, until he quickly leapt after her. "Wait for me!" He turned the corner, and Speckle stood there quietly. It was a pleasant little clearing, and the wind blew in a soft gentle breeze.

"First," Speckle mewed. "You must name your group, so that you will have a stone to stand on. Other groups will come to fear your name, and you can build a reputation. I believe the other leaders are each naming their clans after themselves."

"Do you have a leader named Star?"

"Our place was named for where we live. We have no leader, but strong cats who led while living sort of rule over and make decisions. We live in almost complete harmony."

"So I should name my group ThunderClan?"

"Yes."

"OK, that's fine. What next?"

"Name yourself."

"…But I _like_ my name!" Thunder cried in a kit-like voice. He was named for the Thunderpath near the den where he had been born.

"You will just add to it. To show that you have power over death, you will be named for a place of death. The new rule is that all leaders' names must end with the word 'star'. They will be two-part names, like Thunderstar, or Shadowstar. But the kits, and apprentices will be named different."

"What are apprentices?"

"They are students of older cats."

"Why are those two named differently?"

"To show the borders in age and to have something to work to. Kits will have 'kit' at the end of their name, and apprentices will have 'paw'."

"Why 'paw'?"

"Because it shows how their paws are soft and not used as often as adult cats' paws. Also, who would want 'apprentice' at the end of their name?" she purred.

Thunder purred too.

"Then, warriors will get a whole new ending to express their individuality. Elders, older cats who can not hunt or fight anymore, can change their names if they wish."

"Got it. I have to change names. I'm not sure that the cats will like that…"

"They'll have to," Speckle growled. "You're their leader, and they must do what you say. Also, you must hold cerimonies as each cat grows up. Around six moons, a kit should become an apprentice. When you think they are ready to join the warrior's world, you may make them one. Usually around twelve moons."

"That's what Down is, I think. How will I know what to say?"

"It will come to you. Just let it flow."

"Fine. Thank you, Speckle."

"And when the cat thinks that they've had enough, they can retire and stay in the elder's den. There will be a few dens. One for nursing queens and kits, one for apprentices, one for warriors, one for elders, and one for _you_."

"I get my own den?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"But I wouldn't get to sleep with Snow!"

"Thunder, you know that you won't have as much time for a mate now, being leader. Leaders need to put their personal things after their Clan. It's also for privacy. You might not want to sleep with all the warriors. You might not even want Snow. You get your own den to show them that you're better than them, and they can't forget it."

Something that she said bothered Thunder. "I'll _always_ love Snow. I always will." He meowed with conviction, his amber eyes blazing.

She nodded and meowed, "I know." But she looked a little sad, and her eyes were glazed over and looking far away. _Why?_

Then Thunder thought he understood. _Speckle would have loved to have a mate, and kits. But she died before she could. That's why she's acting strange when we talk about mates._

"You will need a new place to live."

"I know."

"There is a spot you can make camp closer to the TwoLeg place. Follow a stream to find it."

Thunder nodded obediently.

"You will hunt for your Clan and feed the elders, and the kits and queens. You will make a communal pile of fresh-kill, so that the cats learn to share and give away. You will fight for your Clan, and you will not change sides."

"I would never! I'm their leader."

"This message is for you to relay to your warriors, also. Pay attention. If they miss something, it will all be your fault."

"No pressure," muttered Thunder.

She purred and then twitched her tail. He understood that he was dismissed. As he got up to leave the clearing, she stood up to. He walked back over and licked her ear.

"Good bye, Speckle. I'l love you forever."

"Goodbye, Thunder."

He padded reluctantly out of the clearing. As he pushed his nose through some cold and dark barrier, he realized he was waking up. But a voice made him turn. It was his father, whom he hadn't seen since he had died.

"My son!" The sadness, and strangely enough, _fear_ in his eyes was unnerving, but Thunder's paws were stuck. He couldn't go to his father and comfort him.

The tone of StarClan sort of darkened. The wind started tugging at Thunder's fur as if it was pulling him away.

Then, his father's form started to fade. It was gone.

"Father! Where are you?"

"Here…" Frost's voice echoed. "Beware!"

"Beware of what?" he called back, his voice fading and faltering.

"The sun will shine brightly… but darkness always comes with the clouds. Fire is a pretty, but dangerous thing; don't play with it. Your paws will hurt, but don't stop walking. And please, don't pause to smell the roses…" His voice was swirling into the storming fog and mist, and his body couldn't be seen anymore. His words floated like water-skimmers on a pond. "You'll know where your heart truly lies once you feel the frostbite… Good luck, Thunderstar… You'll need it…"

"Wait! Don't go! Help me…"

And the wind whipped Thunder's pleas away, and brought him back to his nest in the snow.


	21. Chapter 21

Thank you to reviewers (and other stuff like that…) And thundercat29r and Kleverkat, thanks _so_ much in the support on Catmint. I thought that everyone had thought it was stupid. And yes, that weird part at the end of last chapter was kinda a mega-prophecy/warning. Just a riddle to warn him of dangers coming. It won't really help him, but I thought it might be fun for you guys to try and figure out what might happen. You know, the prophecys never help the cat concerned. They never understand until after. And come on, I mean, what's _Warriors _without a _prophecy_? Pretty much every single book talks about one or another.

* * *

Thunder climbed up the owl's tree and sat on a high dead branch. He called, "All cats please stand in front of this tree, now." It was morning after his strange dream, and Thunder was getting everything set.

"Whaht iz going on?" Fluffy wondered out loud, loudly, "You voke up Fluffy."

"Fluffy, hush," Ms. Muffin meowed in a soft tone.

"Yes, what's this all about?" Blue sneered. "Why you way up _there_?"

"Hi Thunder!" Sting squealed. "Can I come up there too?" Rust flicked her with her tail.

"No…" Thunder replied absentmindedly. He was searching for someone he hadn't seen in a day, someone gray and slightly fluffy…

Where was he? _Fox's dung! I should have kept an eye on him. _Down was probably off still burying his mother and brother. _Why didn't I comfort him? I didn't even speak to Down…_ He bent his head and whispered to Sting.

"Go find Down, please."

"Sure!" She scrambled to her feet and sped off. _She would be almost an apprentice,_ Thunder thought.

"Hey Thunder," Charcoal & Fire called up to him, "Are you going to speak?"

"Yes. I would like to say that this place is a little crowded, so we will be finding a new home. I would like to organize a patrol that will find a place that StarClan told me about. It is a hollow ravine-like place, and a stream flows down into it."

"We know that place," Fourpaws meowed softly from his friend's side. Max still hadn't woken up, but at least he wasn't dead. "We stayed there for a while. I could easily find it, but I don't want to leave Max."

Thunder frowned. "Who would like to volunteer?"

"I will," Charcoal & Flame meowed. "Hey Kitty, do you want to come too?"

Kitty shifted her paws. "I don't know…"

"I will," Blue snarled, interrupting Kitty. "We can't have a bunch of kittypets running around the forest wild. I'll keep them in line."

"I agree," Ranger meowed with a cold glint in his amber eyes. "I will come."

"I will go." Fourpaws stood up in a floaty manner. "Keep an eye out on Max, will you?"

"Fine." Thunder nodded. "Also, I would like Skunky, Wing, and… Down to go." He had spotted his friend being led in by Sting. "Now, go ahead. Be back by sun-high."

He lept down as they left. Down didn't say a word; just kept his eyes glued to the trail beneath his paws. He was the last in line. _Poor cat. Lost his whole family, almost at once._

"Where'd you find him?" he asked Sting.

"Well, it was hard, but he was by the side of the Thunderpath. Just sitting in some flowers, thinking."

"Well, he must be pretty upset. It must have been a pretty spot, maybe where he buried his family."

"Yes." Sting nodded enthusiastically. "The flowers were all pink and purple, and long on the stems. I didn't know what they were called, but they looked kind of yummy…"

"Mmhmm…" Thunder looked around. He wanted to talk to Snow. He padded to their den.

"Hello," he meowed. "Just checking up on you." Whiskers was there, visiting Snow and the kits. He got up and nodded happily at Thunder as he padded out.

"Thunder!" Honey mewed, blinking her eyes at him. They were too little to be crawling yet, but could still know what was going on.

"Hello, Thunder," Snow meowed coolly, tucking Robin and Kite closer to her stomach with her hind leg. They nuzzled blindly in, wriggling like worms. Honey blinked again and started to doze off.

"I wanted to tell you about the dream I had last night."

"Go ahead."

He told her everything that had happened.

"…And then he meowed, 'You'll know where your heart truly lies once you feel the frostbite. Good luck, Thunderstar. You'll need it.' What do you think that weird last part meant?"

She stayed silent.

"Well, he talked about fire, and sunshine, and darkness. Do those symbolize things in life or are they actually real dangers. Will the forest catch fire? What about 'don't smell the roses?'"

She sighed. "I don't think you should take this all so seriously. It was just a dream."

"A dream from _StarClan_."

She looked skeptical, and Thunder could tell that she still didn't believe him or any of the other cats.

"Look, I have to go." He tried to keep his voice from sounding cold, but he wasn't sure she was fooled. He stood up. "I can hear them coming back already."

He padded out of his den and in front of him stood the patrol. _Hah! I didn't even hear them before! I was just making it up._ He sort of felt guilty to lying at Snow again, but pushed that to the back of his mind,

"We found a wonderful place," Blue told him.

"It was right where I left it," Fourpaws mewed.

"What, do you think it ran away?" Charcoal & Flame knocked him playfully.

"If you fight," Skunky purred. "I'll have to separate you." He growled and batted them with his paws.

Thunder lept up onto a large rock.

"Eveyone, please come out here!" The cats came filing out of their dens and other places. Snow was the only one left inside.

"We are moving. I think everyone is ready to go, except for Max and Snow. They will stay here until later, with each other and… Wing for protection." He could trust his mother.

They crept out, in almost a straight line. The snow drifted, and nipped at their paws. When they got to a small cold stream, Foupaws stopped.

"Now we follow this down." They did so, and soon found themselves branching off and pushing downwards through a fern tunnel. When they came out, they found themselves in a ravine. Sparkling white snow dusted the cold ground, making the ravine look like StarClan. It was perfect; big enough, places to make dens; areas for making speeches, and things like that.

Sting galloped ahead and threw up great clouds of powder. The other cats, yowling happily in success of finding this great new hide-away. A gray pelt slunk into Thunder's vision. Suddenly, his heart started pounding and his mind raced.

Thunder returned a happy glance from his mother, but his insides were churning. He had just realized something horrible.

Down was at the end of the line, still looking down at the ground. Something pink and purple had sparked in Thunder's mind. Sting hadn't known what the flowers were called, but Thunder thought he knew. He could be wrong, but it was better safe than very, very, _very_ sorry.

Down had been sitting in the flowers, supposedly lost in thought.

Thunder was so glad that he had sent Sting to find Down. So, so, so glad. But the danger wasn't passed yet. Down didn't know, that Thunder knew about what he had been thinking about.

Thunder couldn't believe it. Silly, fluffy, mischievous Down?

Would he really consider _that_? Was he so depressed that he wanted to…

Use _foxglove_?


	22. 22, Down and fluff

Thank you to reviewers and readers…

Sorry I didn't write for a while. Even though I have shorter chapters, it still is hard to write. Sorry to keep you waiting for what would become of Down and the foxglove.

For any people who didn't know last chapter, foxglove is a plant that is deadly to most mammals. You can probably guess the rest.

This chapter will be shorter because I am trying to keep the same updating schedule. Just go read last chapter's note if you forget.

Just a reminder to people that have cats, your names are at the end of chapter 19. If you don't know, go check please. I want those people to tell me if they approve or not.

And Spottedfire, I can't give you Down as a mate because of what happens inn this chapter. Also, your name might remind people of Spottedleaf/Firestar, and I don't really want that, sorry. But don't worry; don't be mad at. I've got _plans_ for _you_. Muhahaha!

And please don't feel jealous, other fans. You also have a spot in my story.

Anyway, you are probably anxious to know what will happen.

If that is so, I won't keep you waiting any longer.

I'll end this note at the beginning now.

I'll hurry up and let you read.

No more meaningless words.

Okay, just go ahead and read.

_

* * *

Down? No! This wasn't possible_. Thunder's big white paws slid down a spot of ice. He needed to speak to his young friend.

"Down!" he called softly, his voice trembling a bit. "Come here, please."

Down looked up. Thunder saw his niece, Sting, turn her head away guiltily. She had been staring at the gray tabby with a funny expression. _Maybe she is older than I remembered, to already be looking at toms. This could be good for all._

Down dragged his paws over to Thunder; Thunder noticed that the pads of his feet were embedded with rocks and grit. He was so deep in mourning that he didn't even clean himself properly.

"Come in here." Thunder gestured to a crack between two rocks. They slid inside and faced each other. It was actually a warmer winter day, but it seemed that it was freezing cold.

"Down," he meowed sadly. "I'm really worried about you."

Down narrowed his eyebrows in question, but kept his eyes on his paws.

"What I mean is that I know what you might have been planning. With the foxglove."

Down's dark yellow eyes opened wide. "How…"

"Please, please don't do it. You know that we love you."

Down shrank. "You're a lier. No one loves me."

"What? Of course we do. You're so popular and funny and we _need_ you."

"My mother loved me. My father loved me. My brother loved me. And now they're all dead."

"Why would you even think about that? You have your whole future to look forward to with lots of friends, and even a mate."

"My problem is, everyone has someone, and I have no one. You and Snow, Skunky and Leaf, and Rust and Whiskers are already close friends and as old as dirt. If I try to know them, it will only lead to more pain when they die."

"You're afraid to love because you're afraid of death?"

"Almost everyone I cared about was lost. I want to be lost also, with them."

"They're not lost. They are in StarClan, having a good time."

"Without me. I have no one to have fun with, I have no one."

"That's wrong!" A small voice yowled from the entrance crack between the rocks. Furry yellow ears appeared, and Sting then curved around the cold stone walls and looked at Down. She had obviously been listening to the whole thing.

"That's wrong," she repeated, seeming like a much older and wiser cat. "You have _me_. I'm your friend." Then she walked to Down's side and purred, "Don't leave, ever. We'd all miss you." Down let himself be led out of the cave.

And that was the day Sting and Down became friends for life.

* * *

"Okay," yowled Thunder from a very high rock that looked over the cats, "First, I would like to say that I am very happy that all of you came here. This will be called ThunderClan, after me. Now, I know that seems sort of presumptuous, but StarClan told me to do this. Now, they also told me to separate you according to age and skill. There will be kits, apprentices, warriors, and elders. So now, if you are older than twelve moons or think that you are qualified to stop being taught, stand over here."

Blue quickly strutted to the spot beneath the rock. Ranger followed him. Charcoal&Flame meowed happily and hopped to her paws, the soft snow blowing up in a flurry. Her calmer sister, Kitty, stood, shook the snow from her pelt, and joined the group beneath the rock. Ms. Muffin led Fluffy to a dry path of ground and swept the snow away with her tail. The thin gray cat, Smokey, dragged herself to the base of the rock and sheltered in the overhang. Rose, the cream-colored tabby cat, padded through the white frost and sat delicately, wincing from recent cuts and scratches. Everyone had been hurt while battling.

Also, Thunder's old friends came to stand beneath him. Skunky and Leaf sat quietly, while Down and Chip stood and shivered from the cold. To Thunder's concern, his own mother didn't go with them. But when she met his eye, he knew she had her reasons. She would be joining the elders. He nodded in her direction to show that he understood.

"Now, I don't know you that well, but try to be happy with what I name you."

He took a deep breath and prepared to name the cats.

* * *

Aww... Down and Sting fluffiness. But a little darkness. I bet you thought that Down would die when I said SpottedFire123 couldn't have him as a mate. Now you see that it was because Sting gets him instead. Sorry, SpottedFire! I _knew_ he was your favorite, but it was too late. I had written the chapter already.

::::::::: Okay, so I stopped _here _to give you _**one** last chance_ to get names in. We have Blue, Ranger, Charcoal&Flame, Kitty, Ms. Muffin, Fluffy, Smokey, and Rose as new cats. (But some new cats are apprentices.) We have Skunky, Leaf, Down, Chip, and Snow as old friend warriors. (Some from the old group will be elders and one apprentice.) Wing, Whiskers, and Rust are now elders, but still need warrior-like names.

If you are one of the cats in the story, review to tell me what you want your name to be.

And don't forget to tell me if you liked the chapter, and what I could do better! Too corny? Too excited? Too dark? Please review...


	23. 23, Names

Thank you for all the luv, everyone!

Sorry for not writing in for more than a week. You know how school is. My new grade has even more homework. I spent almost five hours on it the other night… But I made this chapter extra-long to make up for it. And if you noticed, I figured out how to delete chapters and deleted my note; "chapter" 14. So that's why there are still the same amount of chapters.

I expect all of you to review to make up for the lost reviews when I deleted the chappie. :)

I spent Labor Day weekend reading a ton of FanFiction and getting down in the dumps. It's hard not to become depressed when a billion people are a billion times better than you at writing… But I got over it and was really excited. I just dove into the giant Harry Potter FF realm. Scary.

Anyway… Oops! I made a blooper last chapter… Wing was supposed to stay with Snow and Max, but last chapter she came to the new camp with all the other cats. Whatever. Please just ignore it, and pretend that she didn't hear her son (Thunder) tell her to to stay.

Anyway again… Thanks to reviewers for reviewing and readers for reading. Okay, so this chapter will be mainly naming and stuff. Hope you like the names! (I tried to use some of the ones you gave me, but don't feel bad if I didn't. I might have already had a name.) (And Wolfsbane, I didn't forget you!)

* * *

"Down, please come up here." Down nodded slowly and obeyed Thunder. "Down, I know that life for you has been recently harsh, but you found a way to get over it. You have made me purr for moons with your antics. Do you promise to be loyal to this Clan and protect it with your life?"

"I do."

"Let StarClan shine on this new warrior, Downpelt."

Thunder laid his head on Down's shoulder as a friendly gesture, and to comfort him. Down licked Thunder's fur and then climbed down the rock.

"Downpelt! Yay Downpelt! Downpelt!" Sting yowled loudly. "Downpelt!"

The other cats looked confused, as if saying, _Is she supposed to do this?_ They nervously began to copy her.

"Downpelt, Downpelt, Downpelt!"

Downpelt looked very pleased, and Thunder was glad. Hopefully no more... Suicidal thoughts would cross his mind. Thunder could already tell the difference. He then called up his one remaining sibling.

"Leaf, my sister. Thank you for everything. StarClan approve, will you take the name Leaftail?" He asked, respecting her as his sister, not a younger cat, like Down.

"I will."

Thunder felt awkward, so copied the same movement he had with Down. Laying his head on his orange sister's shoulder, they parted. The cats chanted her name again.

Next was Skunky.

"Can I be named Skunkyspray?" Skunky joked. Thunder wanted to push him off the rock for a split second, as he was making Thunder look foolish.

"You will be named Skunkstripe," Thunder growled. "If you don't like name, too bad." He forced himself to put his head on Skunky's shoulder to show equal friendship to the newer cats. They yowled out his new name.

Then Chip was named Chipfur. Then it was time to name the new cats.

"Since I don't know you, I won't be saying any special words. You hear your name and are happy with it."

Charcoal&Flame became Brightflame, to her great excitement, and her sister, Kitty, became Coldpool, for her liquid blue-green eyes.

Blue, his nose in the air, sniffed when Thunder announced him as Blueheart. His friend Ranger was called Forestclaw.

Smokey became Smokeflower. She nodded, her thin young frame trembling in the cold wind like an empty corn husk.

Miss Muffin became Darkcloud, for her brown-and-white pelt, and Fluffy was named Whitecoat for obvious reasons.

And Rose, the pretty cream-colored tabby, became Rosemilk. They thanked Thunder, and the names were called out to the cats in StarClan.

"If you are younger than twelve moons or think you still have much to learn, please stand beneath me."

His own kits were the only ones qualified to be still kits, so he didn't even say that.

Wolfsbane stepped forwards.

"I'm seven moons old," she meowed. "And I defiantly have much to learn."

Fourpaws met her under Thunder. "I'm almost eleven moons old, but I don't really remember," he mewed vaguely. "Max is a little younger, I think."

They all looked at the path they came from; towards the tree where Snow, the kits, and Max lay.

Thunder nodded his broad orange head. "That's fine. We will hold a ceremony for him later."

Sting jumped forwards. "Can I go first?"

"Yes."

She dug her claws into the rock and worked her way up to the ledge.

"StarClan, see this young cat to be taught well. She will be called Stingpaw until she is ready to earn her warrior name." He gazed around. She would need a mentor. "Your mentor will be Leaftail." No harm in giving Sting her mother as a teacher. Stingpaw practically flew off the high rock to jam her muzzle into her mother's.

Wolfsbane stepped forwards, her thin black pelt standing out from the white snow. Fourpaws, however, blended in like a barred owl. Only his multi-colored paws were not white. Thunder gave him Chipfur for a mentor. He gave a dreamy,

"Thank you, Thunder," and Chipfur climbed up the icy rock to touch noses with her apprentice.

Thunder decided that _he_ would mentor Banepaw. The happy look in her eyes made him feel as if she would be a good student. And he, as leader, would need an easy student. Because he suspected leaders wouldn't have that much time on their paws as other cats…

"This young cat will be named Banepaw. _I _will be her mentor," he meowed in a rumbling purr.

He bent down and waited for her to touch his nose. He had seriously no idea why all the cats were doing this, but he didn't want to look out of place and different. She quickly jumped up, and then they backed away.

"Wait!" yowled Blueheart angrily. "Why are the only teachers the ones that used to live with you? I thought you said that everyone started off the _same_ in your group."

"Well, I have no idea who you are. I only chose cats I know because I know what they can do, and their ways."

"You could just _try_ one of us out!"

"Okay then, if you want an apprentice so badly, you will get Max when he wakes up. His name is now Burntpaw."

Blueheart looked smug, but some other cats slit their eyes.

"Don't be angry," Thunder yowled, "I will try to get you all apprentices, if you want them, sometime in the future…"

They nodded, and Coldpool's blue eyes brightened tremendously. Her sister, Brightflame, and the other paw, was busy play-fighting with Rosemilk.

"Now, we will have elders. If you feel you are too old to hunt and fight, please stand forwards.

Wing, Rust, and Whiskers came to the rock.

"My mother, thank you for all you've taught me. You may take the name Goldenwing and spend the rest of your life in peace."

Whiskers became Longwhiskers, and Rust became Rustclaw.

"Vat about you?" Whitecoat asked. "Vy do you not haf to change your name?"

"I do."

"Then what is it?" Smokeflower asked.

"My new name is Thunderstar."

The cats gasped as, suddenly, a fierce wind blew across the top of the ravine, stirring the cold bare branches of the trees above into a cracking fury. The icy snow blew up and stung their eyes and noses, and then settled in drifts around their paws. The cats fluffed up their pelts and looked afraid.

"It was a sign from StarClan, telling us that we did the right thing."

"Oh, so when the last cat was named, StarClan knew?"

"I think so," newly-named Thunderstar answered, and the cats dispersed to small hideaways for the night.

* * *

Thunderstar put his paws in front of one another carefully as he started his way down the cold, slippery rock. As he got to the bottom, something jumped out at him out of nowhere.

"ARGHAAAH!" he yowled in complete sudden terror, collapsing to his belly in the snow, and closing his eyes.

Downpelt howled with laughter (he was obviously over any "dark" thoughts) as Stingpaw stared at her uncle with amusement. Her father, Skunky, purred at her prank. The other cats _mreowed_ with laughter as well, and Thunder had never felt so embarrassed.

"How did you appear out of nowhere?" he asked Stingpaw shakily, trying to regain his composure.

"There's this funny crack in the rock…"

Thunderstar pocked his nose in the hole, past the hanging lichen. There was just enough room for one or two cats, and the floor was dry. He had found his den.

After putting the three elders in a hollow tree, the apprentices in a clump of ferns next to a stump, and the warriors in an overhang protected by some bushes, Thunder was ready to go to sleep.

But as he dozed off, he realized that he hadn't even thought about poor Snow, still in her den with their kits, and he also hadn't given her a name. And then another thought struck him.

_StarClan gave signal when the last cat was named, but I wasn't the last cat. Do they know that Snow exists?_

_I'll go see her tomorrow, and I'll name her Snowfeather._

* * *

Okay, so tell me what you thought about each name! I did change a few reviewer-based names, since some were a little too… "shiny" for Thunder's Clan. He needs tough cats, not_ sparkling_ ones. (Not that I don't like sparkly names, but they didn't fit well...) Did you see any future pairings? Do you want to have a cat based on you? Please review! Next chapter is the Allegiances, so read that to get a clear name impression!

(Also, I would love it if you helped me out. I want to ask you people who are skilled FanFictioners, "_what's a muse, and what's a beta_?" I have _ideas_ but I would like _definitions_. It's confusing to read about authors telling me they have them and stuff.


	24. 24, Allegiances

Sorry for posting this separate, but something happened and everything got all messed up. People weren't able to review, and blah blah...

And I put new stuff on my profile... mainly the new stories I plan to write and some comments (down at the bottom). Just informing you.

* * *

Okay, so now I will do Allegiances. This is in case you forget a character, what one looks like, or stuff like that. If you ever are confused in a latter chapter, just come back to this one, chapter 24…

* * *

ALLEGIANCES:

**THUNDERCLAN**

**Leader:**

**Thunderstar –** Large orange tom with huge white paws and amber eyes, once named Thunder

** ::::::Apprentice, Banepaw **

**Deputy:**

None yet (Deputy idea hasn't been invented)

**Medicine Cat**:

None yet (Idea hasn't been invented yet)

**Warriors**: (toms and she-cats without kits)

**Leaftail **– An orange tabby she-cat with green eyes, once named Leaf

** ::::::Apprentice, Stingpaw**

**Skunkstripe –** Black and white tom with one ear and one yellow eye, once named Skunky

**Downpelt –** Fluffy gray tabby tom, once named Down

**Chipfur** – Brown she-cat with yellow eyes, once named Chip

** ::::::Apprentice, Fourpaw**

**Blueheart** – Thin wiry brown tom with strange blue eyes, once named Blue

** ::::::Apprentice, Burntpaw**

**Forestclaw **– Dark brown tom, once named Ranger

**Coldpool **– Pretty calico she-cat with green-blue eyes, once named Kitty... _Based on reviewer WarriorAddicted_

**Brightflame **– White and tortoiseshell she-cat with light blue eyes, once named Charcoal&Flame.._. Based on reviewer Spottedfire123_

**Rosemilk** – Pretty cream-colored tabby she-cat with green eyes, once called Rose... _Based on reviewer VioletteRose_

**Smokeflower **– Skinny bluish-gray she-cat with light yellow eyes, once named Smokey... _Based on reviewer Portland Writer_

**Darkcloud** – Brown and white tabby she-cat with yellow eyes, once named Miss Muffin... _Based on reviewer Starryskywishes235_

**Whitecoat **– White long-furred tom with a foreign accent, once named Fluffy

**Apprentices**: (about six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Banepaw – **Thin black she-cat with amber eyes, once named Wolfsbane... _Based on reviewer Bane Wolfsblood_

**Burntpaw –** Black and gray tabby tom, once named Max

**Fourpaw –** White tom with one ginger paw, one black paw, one brown paw, and one gray paw

**Stingpaw –** Black-and-yellow she-cat with green eyes, once named Sting

**Queens**:(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Snowfeather –** White she-cat with green eyes, once named Snow, mother of Thunderstar's kits: Honeykit (orange and white she-cat), Robinkit (ginger tom), and Kitekit (white and light ginger)

**Elders**: (former warriors and queens, now retired)

**Goldenwing –** Golden she-cat, once named Wing

**Rustclaw – **Dark reddish she-cat with yellow eyes, once named Rust

**Longwhiskers –** Elderly light gray long-haired tabby tom with long whiskers (Hence, name), once named Whiskers

* * *

Okay, so last chapter you couldn't review and stuff, so you can review what you want to on this chapter for about last chapter _and_ this chapter. And I expect extra reviews because I had to sacrifice a chapter's worth of reviews. **I want at least six, please**. That means_ you_! Yes, I see you hiding out there, reading every single chapter but never even taking time to write a response to my story. _I can see you_... Muhahaha!

**_AHHHH!!!_** I just realized that I had _anonymous reviews_ switched **off**! That _stinks_! If you don't have an account, now you may review! I'm so sorry!!! SO SORRY! (And I'm sorry for myself because I could of had a ton more reviews...)

(Thanks to everyone who has already reviewed)


	25. Names II

Thanks to my reviewers! Only 26 away from 100! The one-hundredth reviewer gets a prize, and the sooner it comes, the bigger the prize. But not too big to be unfair to other reviewers. That would stink. Maybe if you really really really really try we can make 13 (half) reviews in this chapter. If you have'nt reviewed previous chapters then you can add those. If we get to 100 with this chapter, then I'll do something special for all.

_TwoLeg Time!_ is currently in stuck mode. I would highly appreciate it if you people hopped over there after reading this and fed in some ideas. (In the _TwoLeg Time!_ Review section, please, not the _Thunder's Story_ review section.)

This chapter is a little short... Well, almost half of it is a psychotic author's note at the bottom. Sorry.

Also, I've added future stories to my profile. You might want to check it out (at the very bottom) to see what's on my mind.

Let's go, hobey-ho. (Read _Pendragon_ to get it)

* * *

"Whoa there, little one." Thunderstar stepped over Honey as she tottered to his paws. "Get back to your mother. You're too young to be straying from the nest."

He was traveling to tell Snow her new name. But he was _three days_ late. He had planned to go earlier, but patrols, hunting, and just plain old leading a Clan had his hours booked. He hadn't even taught his apprentice yet. Banepaw was, at the moment, with Darkcloud practicing battle moves. Thunder could finally see his mate and kits.

He ducked into the nursery.

"Momma, look! It's a _LION_!" one kit shrieked, pulling Snow's white tail over his eyes to hide.

She looked up with weary amusement. "That's not a lion, Robin. That's your _father_." She shot Thunderstar and tired and relieved glance, with also a bit of unexpected anger mixed in.

"Really?" Robin peeped over his mother's tail. "Hello! I'm Ginger!"

"_Ginger_?" Thunderstar asked. "I thought your name was _Robin_."

"No," the ginger kit told him firmly. "It's _Ginger_."

Thunderstar looked at his mate, asking for an explanation with his eyes.

She sighed. "I told him that he was _ginger-colored_, and now he thinks that it's his name."

The third kit was suckling from Snow's tummy. The littlest one, Kite.

"So, why haven't you come to see me in _three days_, Thunder?" The contempt in her voice was hidden, but still slightly audible. He didn't blame her. He had completely ignored her.

"Well, I have a Clan to run. Very busy. You're coming back soon, right?"

She nodded. "Very soon. Maybe even today, if we carry the kits. Settle down, Robin," she whispered to the bouncing tom-kit.

"I'm _Ginger_!" He mewed. She ignored him.

"Thunder, I understand. But the kits need to know their father, too."

He averted his gaze from her green eyes.

"My name isn't Thunder."

She looked at him as if he had told her he wanted to become a queen.

"Not you too," she groaned finally. "Not funny, Thunder." She tucked Robin…

**("**_**Ginger**_**, silly Wolfstorm!"**

"**Okay, okay. **_**Ginger…**_**")**

She tucked _Robin_ **(Ha!)** into her nest with a hind leg. Then she gathered Honey up also.

Thunder waited patiently. "No, I'm not kidding. My name is Thunderstar."

"Oh, right. Those _StarClan cats_ told you to change your name, so you immediately obeyed them. Okay, _Thunder_."

"Thunder_star_," he corrected her quickly with a polite nod. She closed her eyes.

"Let me guess. You came to let me pick my name?"

"Yes. Well, not exactly… _I_ picked it."

"But I wanted to pick my own name!"

"StarClan said that I should pick all names."

"Oh, if _StarClan_ said so, then _fine_," Snow mewed sarcastically with a sneer. "Go ahead."

"Snowfeather?" he proposed timidly. She thought about it.

"That works for me," she growled.

"And the kits are called Honeykit, Robinkit-" He was quickly interrupted.

"Ginger!" Robin mewed.

"…Robinkit, and Kitekit," Thunder finished, twitching his ears slightly at Robin's kit-like behavior and in a bit of worry. Snowfeather, Honeykit, Robinkit, and Kitekit… very different names, it seemed.

Thunderstar could see the displeasure etched in his mate's face.

"This is just _mousebrained_, Thunder," she sniffed.

"Thunder_star_."

"No, I'm going to call you Thunder."

"Please, it's Thunder_star_, Snow. I mean Snowfeather."

Snowfeather smirked, knowing she had just proved her case. But still, she pushed on. "Thunder."

"Thunder_star_!"

"_Thunder_!"

"_Ginger_!" Robin let out with a long, drawn-out squeal.

They looked down at Robin in surprise as he gazed up with a delighted expression. Honey and he were pretending to mock back and forth as their parents were.

"Robin!" Honey mewed forcefully.

"Ginger!"

"Robin!" The orange and white kit looked up, knowing that her parents had stopped fighting.

Thunderstar and Snowfeather broke into purrs. Then they lapsed into silence for a moment or two.

"About StarClan's prophecy…" Thunderstar began.

Snowfeather harrumphed.

"Look. I know you don't believe, but I need your help. What do you think it means?"

"I've been thinking about it," she meowed.

"… And?"

"I think that 'sunshine' means something good, naturally. So I think that there will be a lot of good things happening in the future."

Thunder was amazed. Snowfeather was smart. Very smart. Thundestar had had no idea about this prophecy, but Snowfeather, who didn't even believe in StarClan, knew the answers.

But something bothered Thunderstar.

"Wait. If 'sunshine' means something good…"

She nodded darkly. Of course, she had this figured out already.

"Then darkness with clouds means something bad."

"_Obviously_."

"Darkness… Clouds… Then roses and frostbite and all sorts of madness. I wonder what it all means…" Thunderstar concluded, licking Snowfeather's ear in good-bye.

* * *

Do you know what it all means? I gave you a huge clue, for StarClan's sake! There will be lots of good times… no one will die. (Phew! A ton of cats have died. That's a relief to not kill anyone off!) Anyway, what do you think will happen? What do you think about that chapter I just wrote?

Tell me more about the names and any future pairings, and if you want to be a cat. And who you might want your mate to be. I don't really care about age differences, so you could be not-yet-born and have a mate already alive.

I had so much trouble with the names. You don't know _how many times_ I wrote Thunder and Snow instead of Thunderstar and Snowfeather. WAY TOO MANY! In fact, I think it was every time I wrote a name I ended up changing it. I added the whole Ginger-Robin thing to show you how names can change so easily. I know this chapter was kind of pointless, but I love these Snow/Thunder moments…

_(Snowfeather walks out of the old nursery, carrying Kitekit. Rustclaw carries Robinkit, and Smokeflower carries Honeykit. They walk to the new camp. Snowfeather lays Kitekit down in her nest and turns to you guys.)_

"I think that Wolfstorm7 means is that she loves making us fight."

'Uh… I do _not_!'

"Yes, you do. I've seen your future chapters, you psychotic bee-brain. I am _all-knowing_!"

_(She looks around really strangely.)_

'…Um, that's not creepy, Snow. I mean, Snow_feather_. Not creepy at all.'

"Just keep talking to your readers! Stop talking to me!"

'Okay, okay.'

…And anonymous reviewers (and possibly just regular ones too), if it's not too much trouble, please go back to older chapters and maybe fill in your thoughts about them that you couldn't before. I'm really sorry about accidentally disabling the thing. It would be wonderful for input on each chapter so I know which I should spruce up and which ones to be proud of. Remember, the 100th reviewer (only 16 away) gets…

_(Stingpaw pops out of mole hole)_

"A BRAND NEW CAR!"

'…WHAT?!'

"Sorry, couldn't resist."

_(She runs away laughing with Downpelt)_

Okay, anyway, you'll get something cool.

_(Blueheart comes around corner of a rock with a fat squirrel in his jaws. He lays it down and turns to you readers.)_

"You know that that means she has no idea what to give you get, right?"

'Shut _UP_, Blueheart!'

You know, corn is one of my favorite writing foods. But just tell me if you are getting sick of the taste. (I also like cheese. If the story gets too cheesy, just yell at me.)

Sorry if the story is getting long. I think that it will never end! (Sigh) The end is actually almost in sight. A bunch more chapters though. I bet some of you are happy, but some of you are groaning, Just finish it already!

I still need the definition of a muse, but I now know what a beta reader is after some searching around.

_(Whitecoat (Fluffy) pads out of the warrior's den, leaving deep footprints. He shakes snow out of his pelt.)_

"So maybe next storvy you vil use beta veader, _yah_? To make better storvys?"

'…Yah. Yah. Hey... that sounds funny… _yah_. yah yah yah… YAH!'

_(Coldpool (Kitty) looks up from where she is sharing prey with her sister Brightflame (Charcoal&Flame).)_

"How many root beers did you have again?"


	26. FourTrees

Long note, then some Thunder-action:

Ok. I have a lot to say, but the first thing is that... _**I'M REALLY SORRY!**_ I haven't uploaded this story in almost three months! I was trying and trying and trying to get to the computer and write, but I had a ton of homework and other things stopping me... So I couldn't. Actually, it's mostly my fault. I'm a lazy person in some ways, and a procrastinator. But procrastination is also linked to perfection... Look it up on Wiki if you didn't know perfectionists were prone to leaving things until later.

So anyway, I am close to the point of beating myself up with a bag of oranges (as fruit doesn't leave bruises but still hurts. You would be amazed as to what amazing knowledge we learn in my German class... It's not all German) but I'm going on vacation so that wouldn't be a good idea. Yes, that's the reason I pushed myself to write this pretty crappy chapter. I don't want to leave you hanging for another whole month.

This chapter was originally much longer, almost four thousand words, but I haven't finished it yet. So I just broke off the first half and uploaded it so you people wouldn't get mad. So if you are annoyed that this chapter is short and empty of "real stuff" then just put this against getting a long, better chapter... a month later.

I also have a few things to say to reviewers... I don't do this often but I thought now was a good enough time!

**Leafpool:** (I'm also talking to everyone in a way, though...): I seriously love your nitpicks. I love them. Thanks for adding them, and yes, I had thought about them before...

The number of kittypets is actually not that high. It seems like there are many, but, in fact, a lot are just children of kittypets with names like pets. I reasoned that kittypet parents would give a kit the same sort of name, not a "wild name". Also, every single cat in that forest has to be _some_ part kittypet. They are all feral cats, and feral cats = kittypets gone wild! 11 cats joined ThunderClan (added to the 10 who lived there before) but only four or five are kittypets; Coldpool, Brightflame, Darkcloud, and Whitecoat. Possibly Fourpaw, but I'm not sure of his background.

The kittypets come from the TwoLeg Place around the territories. SkyClan is also surrounded by houses, so that still works out. It's just that the houses are farther back from the forest, but they are still there.

It was partially intentional that neither deputies have been introduced. Lightningtail was supposed to show at the battle, but I couldn't do it. She (or he) will come very soon (ha-ha!)... and Owlstar isn't born yet.

On that other point, I actually think that the Erins are the ones who messed up with the stream in the boulder. ~So, Erins... the stream runs _out_ of the boulder? And _into_ the river? --That's right, Wolfstorm7. ~Well, I found something fundamentally wrong with that. _They live in a ravine._ There is no possible way the stream flows up and out of a boulder and up and out of a ravine unless the gravity machine broke. So in answer to your concern, Leafpool, I just chose to get rid of backwards-flowing water all together. Anyway thank you for reading!

**Silverleaf_MissMitzy: **Yes, I have been thinking about adding a extra chapter with another character's point of view... maybe as a prize? ;) Or maybe if I feel extra-generous. But a chapter like that will come after all the tough stuff that I need to put in, the actual story and conflict resolutions... But now that I think about it... Maybe I could try something like that as an important chapter...

**Benjy, Brightspirit, icetalon11, waffle goddess cat, Icemoon, Snowy, Star of the Ice Moon, Heartfeather, (New name!) Purple Braids, KleverKat, Bane WolfBlood, VioletteRose, and anybody else that I accidentally missed:** Thanks for being concerned about the rocky relationship between Snowfeather and our good friend Thunderstar! I'm not going to tell you what happens between them... but I want to hear your voices. Thanks for supporting me, really! Thanks so much. (Oh, and Snowy, I will finish this story. I know it's really long... It was orginally, in my plan, only 22 chapters in all... but for some reason it didn't work out like that. I'm sticking with it to the end, though. And don't worry, I've got it in sight.)

**Minkpaw: **Okay. You. Just. Made. My. Life. Thanks soooooo much!!! And I've been _trying_ to update quickly, I'm sorry, everyone. But anyway you are a good Sumerian and a good fine dooby goober!!!

**Emma M.:** Emma M is a real-life friend of mine, my only friend who reads Warriors. I've been trying to get her to read my story for _months_. She finally has, and has plenty to say about it! But I can talk to her personally so I won't waste time YAY EMMA! Let's have a round of applause for my reluctant friend here. (Clap clap clap)

Anyway...

* * *

Cold flakes drifted down, chilling the orange cat to the bones. He pulled his weight through the snow, a good weight, too. Strangely enough, prey was a-plenty and none of the cats were starving like past winters. It wasn't even that cold… Today was the coldest of all days yet.

It had been really good, so far, leading his Clan. No problems, everything running as smoothly as a stream.

Thunderstar bit back a sigh and plowed on, alone. Darkness had fallen by the time he had climbed over snowbanks, dug out of heavy powder, and shaken white from his pelt to get to where he was going.

Yes, everything had been working out perfectly. Snowfeather had only brought up StarClan and the "prophecy" a few times, but they had to keep that topic out of the way, for it seemed to strain the bond of their already-taunt relationship. Still, Snowfeather refused to call him Thunder. If only she would cooperate. She could be setting a bad example for the kits! Thunderstar wasn't sure if _they_ was working.

But he needed her. _They_ couldn't possibly be _him_. Never. He wouldn't let that happen.

His kits were jumpy and fun, full of mischief (especially Honeykit) and he loved to play with them. Kitekit was quieter, and Ginger-Robinkit had a fondness for arguing with older cats.

Leaftail was pregnant again, but wouldn't be joining the nursery for a few more moons. Goldenwing, Longwhiskers, and Rustclaw were still in the elder's den under the tree stump. The warriors were all young and healthy, and doing fine. The mentors had been doing fine with the apprentices. Fourpaw and Burntpaw were happy young toms, eager to become warriors. Maybe in another moon… Yes, Burntpaw had woken up and was now doing well, a shy, quiet tom who kept to his own business.

Thunderstar's own apprentice was great. She was young, but she listened carefully and followed his every command. In five or six more moons his own kits would be ready for meantors. Thunderstar had already picked out Coldpool for one of them. The young calico, he now saw, was the perfect determined cat to be a teacher. He should have given _her_ Burntpaw instead of Windstar's obnoxious son, Blueheart.

There was gossip of Blueheart sharing tounges with Coldpool's sister, Brightflame. Thunder, personally, could not resist gossip. He never shared it but loved to listen. It always got back to him somehow. He and Snowfeather was never a topic, though. Gossip about the leader... and for some reason the next day you find yourself cleaning the elder's moss... A coincidence? You're a sad cat if you believe _that._

Of course, everyone knew about Stingpaw and Downpelt. Their pelts were practically glued together with sap.

Blueheat was still "annoying" and Fourpaw was still as vague as ever. Every cat in ThunderClan had been persisting at breaking Whitecoat's accent.

'Whitecaot. How. Are. You?'

'Good, zank you. I'm veeling vine.'

'No, no, Whitecoat! Say I'm_ feeling fine_!'

'_I'm veeling vine_.'

Thunderstar had been leading the Clan like he thought he should.

He really hoped nothing would go wrong. But in the back of his mind his father's voice echoed and swirled like the snow around him. It beat at his sides and he squinted his eyelids close so he could see properly. If sunshine was good... then clouds was bad. Did that mean shadow was bad?

Shadow... Shadow was part of Shadowstar's name. There had to be some connection. But that seemed to simple. Of course the enemy wasn't good, enemies were always _bad._ Thunder's group was the good side, the other clans were the bad ones. That's just how it worked.

_I hate this mouse-brained prophecy thing,_ He thought. _I'd be great if they just did away with it completely._ But now he couldn't finds the trail he had been taking. He had been thinking to much. He had come out of the trees; he could tell by the way the wind suddenly turned up a notch, screamed into his ears, and tried to topple him over. But the falling snow was so thick that he could hardly see a tail-length in front of him.

"Hello?" Thunderstar yowled into the swirling snow. "A little help here?"

No one anwered, but he hadn't expected anyone too. You'd have to be a magical being to hear anything in _this_ storm. He trudged through the snow, sinking up to his chest. He had no idea of where to go. _I'll never find FourTrees._

"Here!" A faint voice called. He peered ahead and saw a glowing silvery shape darting though the snow as if it was swimming. The cat flicked it's tail as if it was signaling Thunderstar to follow. He did, pulling his weight through the snow like a plow. Finally, ahead, he could see a dark, massive shape looming over him. The four trees.

"Thank you!" He gasped to the cat. "You're Riverstar, right?"

But the cat was gone. Thunderstar searched for a sign there had been someone there, a sign that he wasn't crazy, but there was nothing. He realized what he hadn't before... The cat had left no paw prints in the snow. _I think I just saw my first StarClan cat._

He realized that he had been in Windstar's territory, that he had overshot FourTrees and had missed them. He slid for the second time, as the first had been a moon ago, into a "clearing". Now, all the leaves had fallen off the four great trees and the ground was cold and blanketed with snow and ice. He scrambled his claws into the slippery slope on his way down into the FourTrees space.

A gray tom, the real Riverstar, and a wiry brown she-cat were waiting for him. Riverstar was white with snow up to his belly, but Windstar's body was clean, looking as if she had been here for a while and had groomed herself clean.

"Is he the last?" the tom asked.

"No, Riverstar. There are _five_ of us!" the she-cat meowed irritably. Thunderstar chuckled to himself.

"How's prey running?"

"Fine," Windstar replied, turning her head up slightly as to act superior.

"Eh… fine too." Riverstar commented, but Thunderstar could see that when the river froze over, the fish were hard to catch. But you couldn't really see Riverstar's ribs yet, so that was good.

"I'm here!" A voice from above them called. Two cats leapt down from a branch, a young blue-silver tom and an older white-blue she-cat.

"Skystar," Windstar sneered, "We were supposed to come alone. I don't think having your friend here will help you get nine lives any better."

But Thunderstar was impressed by the cats' abilities. They had climbed up one of the FourTrees? _I suppose that's easier then sliding down…_

"This is my mother." Skystar swished his long blue tail at the whitish she-cat, who's blue eyes shown with great intelligence.

"I know I am not supposed to be here. I was only coming to help my son. I'm sorry… I'll be leaving now."

She turned her back and used extremely large, powerful hind legs to propel herself up the slope, digging her claws into the ice.

"She came all the way here just to bring you here?" a quiet, cold voice whispered hoarsely from the shadows behind them.

"Oh, Shadowstar's here!" Riverstar meowed. "We can start now. Yoohoo! StarClan! Down here! Nine lives, please."

Thunderstar twitched his whiskers.

Skystar shuffled his paws and licked the tuft of fur on his chest, still thinking about Shadowstar's question. Finally, "She's very interested in my Clan leadership doings. I just let her come along so we could talk on the way."

"Fine," Windstar snarled. "She can stay."

"Who put you in charge?" Thunderstar suddenly shot at her, angry fire burning up inside. "We're all equal here."

"And we are all leaders," Shadowstar added in a voice that reminded Thunderstar of ice shattering. He shivered involuntarily and wrapped his fluffy orange tail around himself even more tightly. He caught sight of Windstar looking at him smugly, her own thin brown tail blowing around like a vine behind her, and she showed no signs of being cold. He immediately tried to hide his quivering legs behind each other, ending up just getting tangled.

Shadowstar mocked him openly. "Look at the furry forest cat. Not so used to open spaces, huh handsome?"

Thunderstar just growled and wished he was invisible for the thousandth time.

They all shuffled their paws impatiently for a moment in awkward silence. Thunderstar finally couldn't contain himself and blurted, "When do we get our nine lives?"

"Impatient, aren't we?" Shadowstar sneered with a very faint glimpse of amusement in her cold dark eyes. Windstar chuckled under her breath, and the two she-cats shared a glance that all the toms watched fly by and miss completely. Thunderstar felt stupid as he waited in silence.

A wind started to sweep through the hollow. The two she-cats stopped chatting for the moment, their voices dying slowly as they stared in wonder at the snow whirling by the ears of the cats. Thunderstar subconsciously took a step forward to fully immerse himself in the white cloud, as the four other leaders did the same. The snow seemed to take a mysterious property, spinning and sparkling in the sunlight… But the sun wasn't out, and the four trees blocked almost all pure moonlight from reaching the clearing.

The snow looked like stars twinkling brightly, twinkling and shining and dancing in Thunderstar's vision… His orange tail, hanging loose, as the cold feeling was gone, replaced by a strange, unreachable warmth, was buried in white crystal stars as Thunderstar sank to his paws, his mind stooping and spinning. The snow was whirling… and then all went dark.

* * *

Yay! All done for now... the next chapter will be much longer; almost 3000 words. Really hoped you liked that and aren't mad at me...

Okay now, I'm leaving for a month on vacation! Not telling you where, stalkers. So I'll try and get up a TwoLeg time chapter when I come back and one for our dearest Thunderstar after. Merry Chiristmas, or whatever you celebrate! Happy holidays and hope you get lots and lots of snow...


	27. 9 Lives

Sorry I haven't updated... :(

Been very very busy for the last two months. (We got a finally dog after me begging for all my life, but you guys wouldn't really care about that though so I'll cut to the chase and give you the story.) This chapter is longer because it's Thunder getting his nine lives, and WOW it took a long time to write.

We see dead cats now.

* * *

The sky was magnificent. It shone black as a raven's wing, deeper than the darkest pool and streaked with glowing points. They spun around Thunderstar's body as he felt the grass under him, cool and wet with something like morning dew… But wild and strange.

It hit him with sudden force that he wasn't under the four trees.

_Where am I?_

Jumping to his paws and whirling around, he saw that he was alone in a grassy area, a print in the grass where he had slept, and the far distance was blurred as if he was seeing it from the edge of his vision. Twisting his head this way and that, he realized that he was in StarClan again, this time for receiving his nine lives.

His heart jumped and soared at the thought.

_I'm gonna be invincible!_ He thought like a young kit might, barley able to contain his excitement. _Great StarClan, thank you!_

But where were all the cats? He could smell the paws that walked this ground, foreign and yet familiar, like a smell of smoke and frost, and warmth and cold… If he was in StarClan, wouldn't the other leaders be here with him?

Thunderstar took a tentative pawstep forwards. The ground didn't collapse like he thought it might have, some sort of trap. The grass was sweet smelling, now that he was fully awake, and the sky didn't look so overwhelming. His big white paws led him on and on. Finally he heard voices. He sprang towards that direction, eager to meet cats after what seemed like moons of loneliness. He could see shapes before him, like in a dream, watching him approach.

"Ah, here he is," meowed a beautiful shimmering golden she-cat. "We had thought you'd gotten lost."

Thunderstar's paws faltered a step and he tumbled through some trees into a circle of shining, silver-looking cats. They closed in around him and he had the fleeting feeling of prey. But here were all the cats he knew and loved!

Speckle, the one who had spoken, smiled with her eyes. His father (at this, his heart gave a jolt when he realized he would be able to talk about what the strange message was) sat quietly next to a white cat whom Thunderstar realized was Kite. Snowfeather would be so happy.

Before he could say anything, the cats closed in and meowed their welcomes.

"Greetings." Pebble strode up, her gray pelt no longer ragged, blood crusted, and torn. "You are here to receive your nine lives."

Thunderstar nodded slowly, his voice lost.

"We must warn you; we have never done this before. We know we have the power… We don't know at what cost. Do you still agree?"

Thunderstar immediately nodded forcefully and croaked weakly, "Of course."

Pebble's eyelids flickered. "Well then. Let's get started."

"Oh, and…" Speckle meowed slowly, "We will not be talking to you about anything personal, got it? No messages to ones back home, no questions, no _nothing_. Just keep your trap shut and you'll be fine." Thunderstar smiled. It was going to be hard to leave here again.

A mystical breeze swept through the cluster of cats. They backed up a few paw-steps to form the shining circle again.

Kite padded forwards to bend to meet the orange leader's amber eyes. Her paws moved like Snowfeather's paws did, springy but solid. Her pelt shone with stars, and Thunder could only imagine how much she looked like her daughter. Her eyes shone, but uncertainty filled the edges. How was it to be the first cat to ever give the ThunderClan leader nine lives?

Probably very scary.

She nosed his shoulder gently, her pink nose cold as ice but still, warmth flowed into him like rays of sunshine.

"With this life…" she started, voice trembling but then evening out, "I give you generosity." The stream of warmth pulled at him suddenly, and his pelt began to burn. "Use it well to make your Clan stronger." Thunderstar felt pain like never before, the agony of giving everything one had, the jolt of how Kite had felt when she realized that Rain would not recover, and her own devotion…

It swept him up in a flood of feeling. To give when you had nothing of your own…

When it ended his head was bowed and his paws were quivering like it was freezing cold. How would he make it through eight more of the same? But that was what he had come for, of course. No matter how agonizing the pain, the nine lives must be his. Then he would be immortal. There could be no more pain then in death. So this would make up for it. He opened his eyes and saw that Kite had backed away, her feet floating in that manner of Snowfeather's. He met her eyes.

"Do you…" he whispered, "Want me to tell Snowfeather anything?"

The cats around him heard this and hissed their annoyance at his apparent forgetfulness.

"No messages!" Pebble snarled, but the look in Kite's eyes was enough to convey her feelings well enough to Thunder. And, of course, he had received the life of generosity from Kite, and with it, her memories.

He would not be able to tell Snowfeather that her mother forgave her for poisoning Rain. He had dug deep into the pain he received and found that she would love her daughter forever… and ever…

He braced his paws, straightened his shaking knees, and squared off like a charging badger as the next cat approached. A young gray tabby cat, with a lighter tip on his long tail… Pierce's coat shone as he strode across the clearing with the devilish glint in his eye like a fox. His ears twitched to and fro, catching every little sound, and his unsheathed claws bit the soft ground. He smelled of anger, like Pebble used to. But beneath the anger… there was something quiet and peaceful, lulling like a sweet dream.

It was a thunderstorm that rained milk.

"Pierce!" Thunderstar mewed. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry… It's my fault… So sorry…"

"Don't blame yourself," the young cat snapped, but his blue-green eyes shone with compassion. "It's nice here. I like it."

He shoved his nose into Thunderstar's orange scruff with force.

"With this life I give you purpose. Use it well when you feel you don't have one." The feeling hit Thunder softly but grew into a storm. It was a terrible fear, one of being lost. One of a kit, roaming through the woods, but after a while the pain and fear changed, and bulged so heavily that Thunderstar wanted to scream, to cry out. He wanted to be protected. He wanted to know where he belonged. He was barley aware of shifting from foot to foot under the veil of pain and that horrible feeling of being lost, not just in the woods, but inside of himself.

Peirce pulled away and looked at Thunderstar over his sharp gray snout. "Be careful." He left the leader shaking like a leaf.

_Only seven more… only seven more…_

The shining silver circle parted once more, but this time, paws were lifted for a very small cat. A tiny white kit padded delicately to stand beneath Thunderstar's huge, hulking form.

"You… smell familiar," Thunder said quietly. The white kit didn't look up. It was so small that it looked like it had just been born. _That was it._ This kit was Snow's fourth child, his fourth child, the stillborn kit… The little tom with no name.

"It's all right, Father." The little white kit mewed, raising his head up high to look into Thunderstar's eyes. The larger cat jerked back in shock. He was not used to the very affectionate 'Father', a name used only when the deepest comfort was felt needed. Also, the white kit's eyes were horribly strange. The deepest of blue, like the sky, sparkled from the kit. Thunderstar understood that he had not opened his eyes at all, but something strange was glazed over them… Like a pale mist.

"It's all right. My life would have been miserable anyway. You see, I would have been blind."

"But you… _aren't_ blind… _here_."

"That's right. I keep my appearance, but my vision has been corrected," the white kit mewed with a voice of a much older cat. "Don't worry about me, Father."

The orange leader nodded slowly, stunned. The kit shuffled over, raising his little pink nose to Thunderstar. He knelt down so that his son could press his face to his own muzzle. "With this life I give you perseverance." An aching cold filled Thunderstar's body. "Use it well to keep going when others have to stop." The cold filled his fur, from his nose to the very tip of his tail. He felt like he could run forever, the cold whipping his pelt and making his eyes sting. This cold… It hurt, but the pain was _good_. He was getting somewhere with it, running and running and running in the freezing wind until his paws burned off and the ash footprints were swept away…

He shook his head to clear the fuzziness.

Pebble hissed with impatience when no other cat came forwards. Thunderstar's amber eyes swept back and forth, searching for the next life-giver. His jaw dropped and his ears pulled back when he recognized the cat who quietly parted the silver cats like a fish down a stream. It was Rain.

The blue eyes caught him and sucked him in. They weren't empty and dull as before, but shone like a river of happiness and intelligence. Rain's gray coat shone bright silver and he walked confidently, like a lion. He perched atop the ground as if he owned it all, his deep gray fur flowing, and his head was held high and his ears were pricked upwards in a sign of contentment.

_I have to tell Snowfeather._

"No," Rain mewed, his voice very deep and rumbling. "You may not tell my sister."

Thunderstar jumped a foot into the air. He had never heard Rain's meow before. It was like thunder rolling; very frightening. Who was this cat? The cat Rain might have been? If so…

"I am Rain, if you are questioning. In StarClan, your problems are fixed, Thunderstar. Mine were fixed; I am Rain, or at least the cat he would have been if…"

"If I hadn't been careless," mewed Kite quietly. The cats were eerily silent.

"With this life, I give you the skill of listening and the power of acceptance. Use it well to let all cats in, no matter their differences."

A heavy throb of magic flowed into the large orange tom, seeming to light up his fur. He gazed around at the cats around him, amber eyes wide like an owl's. Each and every cat glowed with an air of power, each one different and each one just as wonderful. Every cat there deserved something; every cat there had their own story to tell that was just as important as another cat's story.

As Thunderstar's gaze flickered from face to face, drinking in the variety of personalities and looks, he felt the pain hit him. It was more of a quiet pain, sneaking into his body when he was occupied. Everything ached, from his orange ears to his thrashing tail. A trickle of memories from Rain was let in, complicated and chaotic, the dreams of an insane cat who couldn't communicate.

But in the mess of memories Thunderstar pulled out the feeling of disappointment, the ache of being left out, the small cry of a little kit who couldn't live on his own yet yearned to be free. He felt the drawn-out pain of being ignored, the feeling that communication was impossible. Rain, as a young cat, couldn't understand what was happening around him.

It was terrifying to be inside of the gray cat's head, the memories of when he had his problems. It must have been horrible to be Rain back then.

Rain pulled away in a smooth flow of silver mane and strode back into the other cats, touching the next cat on her nose as she padded towards Thunderstar.

Pebble raised her head high and strode towards her old leader. Bulging muscles rippled under her fur; she had been one of the strongest fighters in the forest. But, as Thunderstar found with the life she gave him, being a good fighter wasn't all about strength.

"With this life," Pebble growled slowly, "I give you bravery. When leading ThunderClan into battle, remember this gift."

Burning heat and raw power flooded into Thunderstar at the touch of Pebble's nose. Suddenly, he felt invincible.

He was taller than the highest of the FourTrees. He was stronger than any badger of dog to attack his cats. His paws could move faster than a rabbit's, speeding over the WindClan moor. See his tail thrash? Angry and powerful, he was courageous as a mighty lion.

_Just wait_ until something attacked his family, his friends. Just wait, and watch and see what would happen. He would defeat it with everything he had, to protect his clan. Thunderstar was powerful, undefeatable, invincible.

His roar could shake the forest to its roots.

Un-clouding, his mind focused again and he opened his amber eyes. The feeling of great power and courage slowly faded, and then his body shook with the pressure of the lives – he had to gasp for breath.

"Almost finished," meowed Speckle, who was suddenly sitting calmly beside him. "Only four more to go."

"How is that 'almost finished'?" Thunderstar mewed weakly, but not without a trace of humor. "That's only just past halfway."

"Oh, you know me," his sister replied. "I couldn't count to save my life."

Everyone purred, and Thunderstar felt a bit more at ease.

"With this life I give you modesty. Sometimes being leader can give you a big head. Modesty will help you deflate it."

There wasn't much to feel. The large cat was confused. _Where is the pain?_

He stood there, not feeling anything. Slowly, he realized _that _was the problem. He was numb. Everything around him turned into a slow misty blur, and the only thing he could feel was a cold tingle in his paws.

He was empty and lonely. He wasn't great anymore, not even if he was the largest cat in the forest or was the leader of ThunderClan.

Slowly the fog melted away and suddenly, he saw flashes of cats in his vision – Thousands and thousands of cats of all shapes and sizes. There were tiny fluffy white kittens and large scraggly cats that were covered with scars and were missing an eye, or an ear. Cats with smushed-in flat faces and cats with docked tails. There were cats crawling over each other, grooming each other, playing, fighting, hunting together.

There was an image of a field full of cats. The sky was full of twinkling stars, and every cat stared upwards as Thunderstar stared down. His gaze traversed the cats; picking them out with his eyes and then moving on, but one caught his attention.

There, a little off to the side of the center of the field, surrounded by other cats, was a large orange cat with white paws. The cat looked up at Thunderstar slowly. He could just barely see the cat wink before the image was whisked away.

He drew back with a jerk from Speckle's cold nose in his shoulder fur. Her eyes glimmered happily, and her tail waved goodbye as she sauntered back into the crowd.

Thunderstar stretched, hearing his back crack, and prepared himself for another life to be given. The next cat padded up slowly, head down. Thunderstar sucked in a breath, heart suddenly jumping like a rabbit.

"How dare you," he hissed quietly. Then louder, "How? HOW COULD YOU LET HER IN?"

Even though his legs were tired and shaking, he threw himself at the cat.

"She killed a cat!" he screeched to the StarClan cats as he flew towards the golden tabby, claws outstretched. "Why is she here?!"

"Don't, Thunderstar!" Speckle cried as the two cats collided. Thunderstar scrathed and bit as the cat, but she stayed perfectly still, not fighting back. The cats around them yowled for the orange cat to stop as well.

"I'm sorry, Thunderstar," Light whispered as she sidestepped another of his attacks. "Please, forgive me."

"Forgive you? You killed Speckle!" he turned and faced his second sister, speaking now to her. "Don't you hate her for that? Why did you let her in? She's a _monster_!"

"She was merely misguided," Speckle mewed. "And we do not abandon family."

Thunderstar shook his head furiously and threw himself again at Light. His weak and tired body resisted, but adrenaline pushed him on. She carefully backed away from him, lightly avoiding each blow. He quickly pounced on her after a few fragile seconds, her trapped under his paw like a crushed butterfly.

"Fight me, foxdung!" Thunderstar roared. "Don't you get it? I killed you! Why won't you fight me?"

Light just cowered under his blows without raising her own paw, which Thunderstar was sure could have done damage.

Something snarling and gray forced her way between the orange cat and his sister.

"What the _foxdung_ are you doing, whisker-brain?" Pebble hissed in his surprised face.

"She killed my sister!"

"And the sister she killed has forgiven her! You have bees for brains! Control your anger!"

"But she killed Speckle!"

"But don't you see? She is good at heart! She was only given inaccurate information about her history…"

"Brother," Light meowed softly. "Please forgive me."

Thunderstar snarled and tried to fight his way out of Pebble's grip. "Never."

That earned him a thump on the head from Pebble.

"I'm beginning to regret ever following you, oh great Thunderstar." Pebble turned to the other cats. "Cats of StarClan! Do we think this is proper behavior for this "exemplary" leader?"

The crowd of dead cats hissed their disapproval.

"Do we want this fluff-brained orange rumdum to have charge of two-dozen cats in the forest? Should we strip him of his lives and give them to a cat who deserves them?"

The cats murmured between themselves, and suddenly Thunderstar realized how precarious the ledge he was sitting on was. He realized in a flash how quickly he could lose everything. He came to his senses, all blood-lust gone.

He looked around; amber eyes cleared, and saw that everyone was staring at him with hostility.

_Oops._

"Pebble," he whispered, feeling a bit betrayed. "I thought you were on my side…"

"I was, until you try and kill your sister. Who is already dead, mind you…"

"I'm sorry. You can let me up."

She looked at him for a split second, straight in the eye, before she lifted her paws and nodded to the other cats.

"I guess he'll have to stay," Speckle meowed lightly, winking at Thunderstar. But he still was tired, scared, and embarrassed. Not to mention still angry at Light…

Thunderstar lay still on the ground, feeling empty of life and of fight. He just wanted to go back to his den and bury his head in a pile of leaves.

His light golden sister padded wearily over to him, limping.

"Please," she pleaded.

"Give him the life," meowed Pierce. "Then he will understand."

Light touched her brother's forehead, and he shrank away, but still she whispered, "With this life I give you the power to forgive."

"And then to forget?" Thunderstar growled.

Light shook her head as Thunderstar's mind went fuzzy and her words drifted away as if floating on a stream. "Never forget…"

Then she was gone, and Thunderstar saw a younger version of Light. She was padding through the woods behind a dark brown tabby, who was telling her the story of her history once again.

"Your family left you to die… I saved you…"

Then it flashed to later, again the same thing. Again and again, lies that this tomcat told, tricking Light into hating the world, trusting no one but the same cat who fed her lies instead of prey.

There was a deep-set feeling of pain underlying the flashes of images and the sparks of voices. A dream of revenge against her family, but then when the revenge came, there was no sweet happiness. There was nothing but sadness, a crazed clouded mind, then death.

And when she died, Light saw what had really happened with her kidnapping and what her mate had done to her.

Forgiveness.

She felt bad, and Thunderstar could feel himself drowned in her sadness, her anguish at hurting a cat she could have loved.

_Forgive her._

Forgiveness…

"I understand," he growled, head high and tail thrashing. "I'm sorry."

She nodded slowly, seemingly waiting for something more.

"And I forgive you, sister." When he had called her his sister before it had been mockingly.

She smiled and padded softly away like a whisp of golden smoke. The other cats nodded slowly as if they were thinking back to what Speckle had said before.

Ash walked up from where he had been standing next to his mate, Pebble.

"I give you _love_ in this life." He exchanged a quick glance with Pebble, then with Pierce. Then he gently nosed Thunderstar's shoulder and was silent.

The orange leader felt a rush of pain like he was stepping on thorns, running through a bramble bush, having claws torn at his fur. It seemed to go on forever, the thorns digging so deep that they ran across his heart and his soul. Love was more painful than Thunderstar had expected.

Then the life was given and Ash had already faded into the crowd of cats. _One more life to go…_

A pearly white glow started to radiate from the back of the starry cats. "It's Star. She's coming," Pierce whispered.

The glow, similar to the moon's shine, came closer and closer, and the cats it passed by crouched to the ground in a bow.

It was a cat who shone like a star, not of this world. From far away, Thunderstar couldn't tell if it was a male or female, but as it came closer, the graceful walk and the rounder shape told him that it was a she-cat.

"Star," Pierce whispered to him. "The phantom spirit of StarClan."

Her eyes were white and her fur was white. Even her nose and claws were white, shining with the light of a star.

She wasn't beautiful or graceful, her form slim or petite. She wasn't ugly or scarred, either, but nothing about her would catch the eye, other than the glow of light. Yet her simplicity and plainness shone with a starry brilliance that gave Thunderstar the idea that she knew every secret StarClan could hold.

Her voice was rough but held soft wisdom. "I am Star. I have no family, no friends, and no home other than the skies. I have never been to the ground below and never will."

"Why not?"

"I am the first cat in the skies. I roam from place to place; a loner. I do not belong here, but I have come to give you and the other leaders a life."

Thunderstar was quiet, waiting, not knowing what to expect.

"With this life, I give you faith." She pressed her white nose to his shoulder, and to Thunderstar's shock her muzzle passed through it like his body wasn't there.

Or maybe it was _her_ that wasn't real. The fur where her nose "touched" felt as if it had been soaked in freezing cold rain. Never ales, she whispered again. "Keep faith with you in the darkest of times and there will be light."

Thunderstar's weary body collapsed as he received the last life, and the surrounding cats gasped. He could barely hear them murmur as he struggled back to his feet, shaking, but feeling a blinding white light streak through him, through every pore of his skin and through every bone.

As he felt like each vein in his body had been drained of blood and replaced with scalding fire, the pain faded. The cat-spirit of the sky looked him in the eye, white on amber, and then fled into the trees. Faster than any speed possible on the ground, she ran, faster than a rabbit or a legendary cheetah.

_It's over._

Thunderstar sat down on his haunches and surveyed the other cats.

"You have nine lives to live until you join us now," Pebble meowed.

"Thank you."

"It was only our duty," his sister meowed. The starry land started to fade to darkness. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Speckle. But-"

She was gone, as was every other cat that had sat in the circle of stars.

Darkness.

Thunderstar opened his eyes as a new cat: ThunderClan's leader.

* * *

Great! Finally done! Not so wonderful (but to tell you the truth I kinda lost the "main point" of this story along the way. :D I **will** find it, no worries! In fact I think I have it already, and I'm actually planning to start the climax of the story during the Easter long weekend!)

I'll try and update my next chapter more quickly. I promise it won't be as long.

Now can y'all do me a favor and review after all that effort I put into this chappie? :)


	28. Ceremony and Storm

Hello all! I apologize greatly for the long time it has been between my last updates.. I hope you understand. If you don't then I give you full permission to find a gun, come to my house and shoot me in the head.

It's not as if you know where I live.

By the way, next time you talk to the little blue people inside the computer who run , tell them that I'm angry with them. I had an awesome start of another story written up and saved as a chapter on my account (not anywhere else because I am a paranoid person) and it _deleted it all_. So if you talk to one of those little blue guys give 'em hell for me, ok? (No actually I'm in love with FanFiction. I proposed yesterday, but the computer didn't answer. I _think_ my dog did, though...)

Anyway I'm not going to explain much, just tell you that in case you've forgotten the characters (which you probably have), the character list is in Chapter 24. I know, I know, if you were wondering why the characters change in personality throughout the story a lot, just remember that I HAVE PASSED MY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH THIS STORY! It was last week! 3 3 3

I meant to update then but studying for finals (!) kept me a tad bit busy. I can't believe that it's the end of the school year. High school, here I come! Watch out ;) ...

It's a long, busy chappie. Some time has passed. Have fun. (And as I've said before... please review!)

* * *

"So how should I step up this thing?" Thunderstar practiced two leaps up the Highrock.

Snowfeather snickered at the second attempt. "Stick with the one where you don't trip over your tail."

"I didn't _mean_ to do that," the orange tom meowed. He sighed and gave his mate a rough lick over a white ear. "I'm just nervous, I guess."  
"You've apprenticed Banepaw, Burntpaw, Fourpaw and Stingpaw before."

"But this is so different! It's my _own_ kits who are five moons old now!"

Leaftail waddled out of the nursery, belly swollen with young. "What's all this noise? My daughter and I were _trying_ to have an _argument_."

Stingpaw padded out from the nursery behind her mother, her fuzzy face drawn and angry. _Only those two could need complete silence to have an argument_, Thunderstar thought.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

Stingpaw growled, "Leaftail won't let me go hunting alone with Downpelt. It's not like we'd do anything; we just want to _hunt_."

"It's just not proper for you, daughter, just an apprentice, to be running around the woods with a warrior."

"I'll be a warrior in a _moon_! I'm not a kit anymore, Mom, and you're not even my mentor anymore. Forestclaw is!"

Thunderstar chuckled. "And if I remember correctly, Leaftail, you ran around the forest with Skunkstripe without even asking Goldenwing."

Leaftail blushed. "I was older."

Skunkstripe walked over. "What's up? I heard my name. You guys talking about me?"

"The sun doesn't shine just for you, Skunkstripe," Thunderstar muttered under his breath. Snowfeather tightly smiled and turned.

"Oh, wow, I can hear that my kits are pestering Rustclaw again. I'll go take care of them."

"Dad," Stingpaw was whining, "Leaftail won't let me go hunting alone with Downpelt."

The black-and-white tom raised his only eyebrow. "Why?"

His mate sighed. "It's just not right."

"Well," Skunkstripe meowed, "I think it's fine." Stingpaw's face brightened and she dashed off towards the fern tunnel where Downpelt had just disappeared.

"Thanks, Skunkstripe!"

"…And remember, I don't want grandkits just yet!"

She turned and made a face. "We're just _hunting_! StarClan, what's wrong with adult cats?"

"You weren't supposed to say 'yes'!" Leaftail scolded her mate.

Thunderstar smiled as his sister and her mate walked away, quarreling. He padded around camp, checking in on the rest of his clan. Elder's den-

"Hey, Thunderstar!" Goldenwing, Thunderstar's mother, looked up from in-between two fuzzy kits who were vigorously fake-gnawing on her ears. Snowfeather looked up as well and flicked her tail in welcome.

"IT'S THUNDERSTAR!" Honeykit, the most energetic, yowled happily. Ginger-Robinkit growled and pounced on his father, leaving Goldenwing's left ear forgotten.

"Oh, help me, StarClan!" Thunderstar pretended to fall over. "My kits have become so fat they can _knock me over_!"

"I'm not fat!" Honeykit mewed defensively. "It's all pure _muscle_." And to prove her point she barreled forcefully into her father's orange legs.

"We caught a fox and ate her ears off!" Ginger-Robinkit pointed his tail at Goldenwing.

"I still say you should have used Rustclaw as your fox because she actually has _red fur_," Kitekit meowed from where she lay in the late Longwhisker's old nest. The old gray cat had passed away simply from old age in the last moon, and sadly Thunderstar's smallest kit had been attached to the tom and his stories. "She would also be more fun to climb on."

"She's too _rough_," Honeykit complained. "I always hurt my paw when we hunt _her_."

Rustclaw growled under her breath. "_Sissy_."

Honeykit stuck out her tongue at Rustclaw.

"Now, kits," Snowfeather meowed, "When you become apprentices later today I expect that you'll stop trying to _eat _our elders. And I think your father wants you, Honeykit, to be a bit tougher. If an old cat can twist your paw then you're not ready to be an apprentice."

"I'm ready to become an apprentice!" the little orange and white she-cat cried.

"So am I!" Ginger-Robinkit growled, and then they both ran out of the elder's stump, intent on showing the rest of the clan their skills. Kitekit rolled her eyes and followed her siblings more slowly, twitching her light ginger tail at the elders in farewell.

"Come back soon so that I can groom you before the ceremony!" Snowfeather called.

Thunderstar padded out of the den after his kits.

Out in the center of camp cats were picking up pieces of prey, so the large orange tom selected a plump squirrel and settled next to Forestclaw and Blueheart, two of his least favorite cats in the clan. But he wanted to be on good terms with everyone, and so he needed to show that he was a good leader.

"Hello."

The two toms looked up, a bit surprised. "Hello, Thunderstar."

Thunderstar bit into his squirrel and asked Blueheart, "Do you think Burntpaw is ready?"

"He's very ready," the stuck-up thin tom meowed. "I've taught him well."

"And… Forestclaw, would you ever think of taking another apprentice after Stingpaw?" _Not that I'd give you one of _my_ kits, you creeper._

The dark brown tom growled. "No. Nasty little things. I don't see why we even keep kits around." But Thunderstar had noticed that his eyes glowed whenever he looked at his apprentice. Stingpaw could make anyone happy.

_Except for Blueheart._ "But your apprentice is extremely wild!" the tom meowed. Someone should teach that cat some manners!"

Thunderstar prepared to say something a little uncalled for, but bit his tongue.

The conversation moved on and somehow, they were talking about children.

Blueheart smiled. "I think Brightflame and I will someday have kits."

"Does Brightflame know about this yet?" Thunderstar meowed innocently, which earned him an icy-sky glare from Blueheart.

"Of course," he sniffed. "She suggested it herself."

Thunderstar looked over to where the energetic Brightflame and her calmer sister Coldpool were sharing a vole, chatting happily. For some reason, when he glanced at them, Brightflame met his eyes and he caught a glimpse of anger – or was it envy? Coldpool must have just told her that she was getting an apprentice, and of course Brightflame wasn't.

Thunderstar had picked his kits' mentors carefully. The controlled Coldpool for Honeykit in hopes she could keep the bouncy orange furball calm, quiet Smokeflower as a mentor for the sensible Kitekit, and motherly Darkcloud for Ginger-Robinkit.

But Brightflame was too youthful to be a mentor, as were Downpelt and Rosemilk. Whitecoat was too old and eccentric, Skunkstripe was just not on Thunderstar's good list, and Blueheart didn't deserve another after Burntpaw would be apprenticed today.

"I've got a thorn in my paw!" a cat's voice rang through the forest, signaling that the hunting group was returning. Thunderstar stood up.

"Catch anything?" he asked Chipfur, who padded out of the fern tunnel with her dreamy apprentice, Fourpaw, close behind. He had caught a frog and a mouse.

"Darkcloud caught a bird; a wonderful leap," she meowed. Darkcloud padded down the fern tunnel with the huge bird in her jaws, tail twitching proudly. Smokeflower followed with two rodents, and Whitecoat walked down dejectedly with nothing.

"Whitecoat haz empty jaws and empty belly for tonight," he mewed, blue eyes full of crocodile tears, and went to lie in a patch of sunlight. Darkcloud sighed and took her prey to him, and he brightened up immediately.

"Where's Rosemilk?" Thunderstar asked, quite aware that the number of cats that had left camp was different from the ones returning.

"Right here."

The pretty cream-colored tabby didn't carry any prey and Thunderstar felt a little disappointment.

"Didn't you catch anything?"

"I caught a _thorn bush_," she meowed, limping towards Chipfur. "Pull it out please!"

Chipfur tugged the stuck thorn with her teeth, making Rosemilk grit her teeth in pain. She yelped when it came out from her pink pad and sat down to nurse her wound.

"I'll bring you some prey." Thunderstar picked out a big mouse and passed it towards Rosemilk, who motioned for him to share. They settled side-by-side.

"Thanks." She smiled and they started chatting.

Across the clearing, the confused green eyes gazing from the nursery entrance went unnoticed.

* * *

"Blueheart, you have taught this apprentice skill, as well as granting him your courage and strong mindset."

The thin brown tom nodded and looked towards the black and gray tabby tom, now as big as he.

"Burntpaw, from now on you shall be called Burntfur."

Burntpaw, now Burntfur, smiled and touched his nose to Blueheart's. For a moment Thunderstar saw Blueheart's eyes glimmer with a pride that wasn't the usual egotistical arrogance, but then they snapped back to smug ice-cold blue.

Thunderstar turned to the (slightly chubby) fluffy white tom and then looked down at the mentor of the apprentice.

"Chipfur, I trust that you have passed on your great intelligence and the gift of working with herb-leaves to your apprentice?"

The old brown cat rolled her yellow eyes. "It wasn't easy."

Fourfoot (paying no attention as usual) waved his gray paw at Rosemilk, who started to choke on a hairball. Snowfeather dealt her a strong blow on the back (perhaps a bit more forceful then needed) and she retched and spat it out at the white queen's paws, much to the older she-cat's disgust. Stingpaw stared to cheer.

Thunderstar coughed loudly and the Clan turned towards him again.

"Fourpaw, do you vow to… uh… Accept our rules and to always keep your mind on the task at hand?"

The apprentice nodded.

"Then, Fourpaw, your name will be Fourfoot."

The crowd cheered. "Fourfoot, Burntfur, Fourfoot, Burntfur!"

After they quieted down, Thunderstar spoke again.

"And now we have three new apprentices to move out of the nursery." His kits pranced up the slope to the top of the Highrock. Honeykit and Ginger-Robinkit literally bounced up the stones while Kitekit proudly, slowly, padded behind them. Snowfeather had groomed their coats to shine like glossy birds' wings.

Honeykit bunched her small muscles and leaped up the last step, barreling into her father's leg. That drew a collective purr from the Clan and Thunderstar felt heat radiate from his daughter's ears as she quickly meowed "Kitekit, hurry up!" to cover her embarrassment.

"Honeykit, Robinkit, and Kitekit," the orange tom purred, "It is time for you to be in apprenticeship. Will you take the names of Honeypaw, Gingerpaw, and Kitepaw?"

Ginger-Robinkit grinned as his father finally complied with his never-ending requests to have his name changed. "Yes," all three kits mewed quickly.

"What about mentors for them?" Brightflame called from the crowd.

"Oh, yes, right." He had chosen earlier:

"Smokeflower will mentor Kitepaw."

The thin gray she-cat smiled nervously at the kit and scrambled up the rock to touch noses.

"Darkcloud will mentor Gingerpaw."

"A _she-cat_?" Gingerpaw groaned under his breath. "But _Dad,_ I wanted _Whitecoat_."

"But then," Thunderstar muttered back. "You'd develop a wonky accent and end up as a mini-crackpot, like him."

Darcloud padded up the rock, paws heavy as she tried to ignore Gingerpaw's disappointment. They touched noses, but over Darkcloud's shoulder Gingerpaw glared at his father.

"Coldpool will mentor Honeypaw."

The tortoiseshell's blue eyes sparkled as the two touched noses and Thunderstar knew he had made a good choice.

As the crowd chanted the apprentices' names, Thunderstar tried to catch Snowfeather's eye. He looked towards where she had been sitting and caught Rosemilk's eye instead, who twitched her tail. He held her gaze for a moment before her kept looking on, finding the familiar white pelt now placed on the other side of the crowd. Snowfeather's stance was proud, but he wasn't able to catch her eye, as she was focused completely on her kits.

As he padded down and the cats swirled around him, chattering happily, Thunderstar felt angry glares singing his neck fur. He slowly turned and moved towards Forestclaw and Brightflame, who were sitting on a large clod of root. They shot hostile looks at him.

"Look, I'm sorry, Brightflame, that you didn't get to apprentice any of my kits."

"Is it because they're _your_ kits? Is she not good enough for your proud-blooded heritage?" Forestclaw sneered.

"If I had known you wanted an apprentice-" Thunderstar started, fur bristling, but Brightflame shouldered Forestclaw and shook her head.

"No, I'm fine," she meowed coldly, and then turned her head upwards. "Oh, would you look at the sky!" Her voice was cool and simple, with not much enthusiasm.

Dark, heaving clouds sat at the horizon. They slowly sifted across the sky, were at least as tall the Four Trees, maybe more. They were black as night, but yet the sun hid behind them and lit up the edges in a glow that awed all the cats that now stood in the clearing, peering up past the treetops to the blue sky.

As the first raindrop hit and the powerful scent of storm on the wind swept through the camp, Thunderstar glanced back at the two cats, but they were already heading into the warrior's den without looking back.

"I'd advise everyone to get in the dens," Thunderstar growled as the rain began to pat dust around his paws. Banepaw, his apprentice, padded up.

"But you promised you'd teach me a new hunting move!"

Thunderstar pointed his tail to the black and yellow striped clouds prowling over the TwoLeg Places in the distance. "A storm's coming."

"We can still hunt in a storm! It's just _water_!"

Thunderstar was about to relent, but there was a peculiar twist in his gut that kept him from licensing the hunting practice.

"No. Look at the clouds coming in."

"But-"

"No."

He padded under the overhang where the other cats were huddled.

The great dark monsters crawled quickly towards the forest and rain started to drive at the ground. Thunderous growls were emptied from the bellies of the clouds and Thunderstar's kits shrank to the ground in fear.

"Come on, up," Snowfeather commanded softly. "You're apprentices now; be brave."

Thunder rolled again and the cats' many pairs of eyes grew wide. Fur stood up on Rosemilk's shoulders, and Fourfoot started to pace in the little space he had.

"Hey, watch it!" Blueheart snarled as Fourfoot bumped into him again. Fourfoot pulled back his upper lip and showed his yellow teeth in a growl.

"Stop it!" Thunderstar snapped. "We just have to wait for the storm to be ov-"

Another massive clap of thunder drowned out the rest of his words and the clan shrieked.

"Are you kits?" Rustclaw meowed. "Are we afraid of a little bit of sound and rain?"

"Zere vas a bolt of lighten-ning over at zee Shadowclan territory!" Whitecoat cried.

Darkcloud's big yellow eyes shimmered. "It was scary!"

The cats looked at the sky. Thunder rolled and the sky flashed again, illuminating the sheets of rain. Water started to drip down under the overhang and made Thunderstar's ears wet.

Suddenly, Fourfoot tensed. His eyes grew larger than butterfly wing spots and he stared at the bramble clump across the clearing, where Leaftail and Coldpool were sheltering. Then the fur along his back and shoulders rose up, and he roared and dashed into the pouring clearing like a huge, ferocious wildcat.

"GET OUT!" he screeched. "Get out of the nursery!" He dashed towards the den and proceeded to fling Coldpool by the scruff out of the den. "Leaftail, come quickly!"

Leaftail dragged herself and her heavy belly slowly through the bramble entrance, heaving with effort. Thunderstar leaped into action and pulled her out of the den. He didn't know what was happening, but the look in Fourfoot's eyes was of pure panic, like a cat with teeth of an enemy snapping at his throat.

As they scrambled back from the den, a sudden crack split the air like a gunshot. A blinding light surged towards him through the rain and Thunderstar was suddenly thrown back by an incredible force. He landed and skidded in the mud.

Cats were yowling around him and he sensed a heat near his tail. Opening his eyes, he saw that the nursery's branches had caught fire. Leaftail was staring at it with her whiskers standing out straight, and Coldpool's head swung back and forth between the flaming bramble and Fourfoot, whose white pelt was shining glossy and orange with the water and firelight. When Thunderstar glanced at the remaining cats under the overhang he only saw many pairs of eyes shining fire-orange out of the darkness, reflecting the blaze.

There was a sizzling noise as the rain pelted the fire continuously, and it started to die down and crumble into soggy chunks of bramble-coal. Every eye in camp turned towards Fourfoot, who was staring into the forest now. He was the young cat who usually was chasing his own tail, forgetting it was attached to his buttocks. He was the young cat who had the dreamy voice and the four different-colored paws; definitely not a hero.

Another crack of lightning screamed down across the sky like a speeding monster zooming down the Thunderpath and stuck somewhere in the forest. Thunderstar thought he heard a screech from the trees, but the now-dark sky was rumbling too loudly to tell.

"StarClan is speaking," Fourfoot whispered. Then: "He's hurt!"

"Who's hurt?" Thunderstar asked. Around him, the rest of the clan started to mutter anxiously. "Fourfoot, answer me!"

Fourfoot looked back up into the forest, just barely visible through the rain, which was not letting up a bit. "Lightningtail. We have to find him."

There was silence as Thunderstar weighted his options.

"I want Forestclaw, Burntfur, Downpelt, Brightflame and… Banepaw to come with me on a search. Everyone else should get either into my den or the elder's den, where the rain and lightning can't get you. Fourfoot, lead the way."

Fourfoot pointed like an Irish Setter and dashed through the sopping wet fern tunnel. The remaining smoke burned at Thunderstar's nostrils as he followed close behind, passing by Rosemilk, who whispered "Be careful!" and by Skunkstripe, who was repeating reassuring words to his mate. "Don't panic, think of the kits. Don't panic, Leaftail – it's over."

The rest of the group almost lost sight of Fourfoot, at the impressive rate he was going. _How can a chubby cat like him move so like a rabbit?_

They stopped in a dense cluster of short pine trees where two hunting trails parted. Fourfoot was short of breath. "He's close," he panted. "I can feel it."

"You _will_ explain this later to me, in private," Thunderstar whispered to him. "Forestclaw, Burntfur, and Downpelt, you go on the left path. Brightflame, Banepaw, you come with me. Fourfoot, pick a path."

"Right…"

They waited. "Well, which one?" Brightflame asked.

"Right path, I mean!" the usually-gentle tom snarled. "We're wasting time!"

"Don't get your tail in a knot! We're just trying to help," Downpelt meowed.

"I'm just trying to find Ligtningtail!" Fourfoot mewed. He didn't sound like himself, as usually his voice was dreamy and vacant. Now he was a different cat; commanding, angry, and quick.

"Who stuck a stick up _his_ ass?" Banepaw muttered to her mentor. Thunderstar cuffed her.

"Just yowl if you find the cat!" he then meowed to the 'left group'.

"How do we even know this cat exists?"

"I think StarClan is speaking to us, Forestclaw" Fourfoot meowed quickly and angrily. "But we must go!" He dashed ahead.

"Wait, Fourfoot!" The three cats followed him, even when he veered off the trail and bush-whacked through the brambles. Wet ferns whipped at Thunderstar's legs as he strained to keep sight of Fourfoot's thick white tail.

Then they heard a yelp. Racing across a pine-needle-covered clearing and rounding a large boulder, they found Fourfoot lying under a large gray paw with shining claws pinned into his neck scruff.

The paw belonged to a tomcat with ragged, marbled storm-cloud colored fur and dark green eyes. His muzzle was a lighter shade than his pelt, indicating age. His back leg, bulging with knotty muscles, was at an odd angle in respect to his body. Breaths came in short gasps for him, and it was obvious that he was in pain. It was also obvious that he must have suddenly been sprung on by Fourfoot, and even in his injured state, taken the young tom down.

Fourfoot was blinking slowly, as if the slightest movement would make the old gray cat bite. Or perhaps he was blinking slowly because that was the way he usually blinked, and suddenly he had broken out of his angry seer-cat trance.

Thunderstar stepped forwards to challenge the cat.

"Are you Lightningtail?"

"I am," the cat growled. "Try and attack me, and I break his neck."


End file.
